Sailor Moon and the Shadow of Justice
by Linkonpark100
Summary: An AU. There is a hero that lurks from the dark, yet he fights on the side of justice. When Sailor Moon has arrived, will this partnership become a friendship?
1. Ep 1: Call to the Moon, Enter the Shadow

Tsubasa Ishikawa's eyes had slowly opened as the morning rays began to shine through the slightly curtain-covered windows. Slowly sitting up, he had let out a soft yawn and began stretching out his joints.

 _'Just another day...'_ he thought as he got out of bed to get ready for school. With a nice warm shower and a set of clothes prepared for him, he was ready for the day. Looking at his mirror where he would always meet his reflection's own set of blue eyes. His eyes shifted vertically as he checked to see if there was anything out of place.

 _'My uniform is neat, my hair is all tied-up and my winning smile is there. I think it's going to be another great day.'_ Tsubasa smiled. His long black hair was tied up into a neat ponytail and his school uniform covering his lithe body. He was currently going to Azabu-Juuban Junior High and had dreams of becoming a civil servant one day. He wanted to help people since he knew that there were other people that probably had it worse than him. Seeing the sad frowns on people's faces had disheartened him, yet allowed him to fuel his resolve.

 _'It can only get better,'_ he hoped. Looking at the time, he realized that the bell was probably going to ring. Breakfast wouldn't hurt, right?

Putting on his school cap, he made his way to the kitchen downstairs and began to prepare himself some coffee and cereal. A strange combination, but it was something. With a nice stream of milk mixed with some crunch, it was quite satisfying enough to enjoy it. He could cook, but he's pretty much average at it. Tsubasa didn't worry though. He's still learning.

After finishing breakfast, he began to clean up before going off to school.

"I'm going off now!" Tsubasa exclaimed. He was met with silence. The boy shrugged as he left the house and locked the door behind him. With that, he took off with his bicycle.

* * *

Tsubasa rode through the wind at a steady pace as he took in the sights. He enjoyed living in Juuban since he pretty much grew up here. Well, for the lone circumstances. Still, it was really nice being here since the people can be quite friendly and there are places that are actually quite relaxing to hang out in.

"Hey! WATCH OUT!"

A loud yell had snapped him out of his thoughts as he looked to see a girl running towards him though looked panicked.

 **BAM!**

Tsubasa had found himself on the ground with his cap off his head and right beside him. He looked very dazed with the stars surrounding him. He had believed that the stars were real and tried to swat the away. He blinked back to reality and looked around. He noticed a girl on the ground rubbing her head in pain.

Her blonde hairstyle looked very distinctive and unique. The odango, as people seem to call it. Other than that, she also wore the Juuban school uniform.

Slowly, he got up and put his hat back on before walking up to the fallen girl.

"Are you alright?" he asked her as Tsubasa offered a hand.

The girl was in a daze as she tried to get her senses back. "Wha..." she trailed off.

"Sorry about that," he said. "I should've paid more attention to my surroundings."

She finally regained her senses and looked at the boy right in front of her. She took a good look at his face and he looked worried.

"I-It's alright," she replied as she took his hand to get up. "I should've slowed down."

"What's the rush?" Tsubasa asked.

"I gotta get to school before I'm late," she explained. "My teacher's gonna kill me!"

He looked at her uniform a bit and back at her face. "Do you by any chance go to Juuban Junior High?"

She nodded. "Yeah! How did you...-Hey, you're also wearing the uniform as well!"

Tsubasa smiled. "Yep. I go there as well."

The girl looked like she saw something amazing. "Whoa. What a coincidence!"

He laughed at that as he offered a handshake. "Totally. I'm Tsubasa Ishikawa."

She took the hand and shook it. "Usagi Tsukino, nice to meet you!"

Tsubasa blinked. "Usagi Tsukino? You're the one that people call dumpling head?"

Suddenly, Usagi puffed her cheeks in anger. "Who told you that?! I swear when I find them, I'll-"

The boy slightly flinched as he tried to calm her down. "I-It's fine! It's just a rumor."

It was half-truth, but that calmed her down yet kept her puffed-up cheeks.

"Besides, I'm in the same class as you," he added.

She blinked and stared at him. "Wait, you're the loner that sits in the other back of the corner!"

Tsubasa sweatdropped at that. Technically, that was true.

"Loner's a bit of a stretch now, isn't it?" he said.

She scratched the back of her head. "Well, it's just that you don't seem to have any friends."

"Well, it's just that I tend to get busy from...stuff," Tsubasa explained. Of course he wasn't going to tell her about what he really does.

"Oh! What do you do?" she asked, curiosity in her eyes.

"I'm part of the go-home club." he answered. Not a lie, but at least that works.

"Really? Me too!" she replied enthusiastically, causing the boy to facefault.

"I...didn't realize that," he said as he got up.

"Oh, that's alright," she replied dismissively. "We just met. Why don't you join me and my friends in walking back home too?"

"I'll think about it," Tsubasa looked at his watch. "Whoa, we better go now."

She tilted her head. "Why?" He showed her the time, causing her to freak out. "EEH?! We're gonna be late!"

With that, she ran off but not before she turned around. "I'll see you in class!"

He shook his head as he continued to pedal his bike.

* * *

When he arrived at class, he saw the students still talking and sitting around. _'Sakurada-sensei isn't here,'_ he thought. He scanned his eyes all over the classroom and couldn't find the odango girl.

 _'She's late,'_ he mused. She probably went to the wrong route.

A brunette woman had arrived to the class, causing the students to get back to their seats. She was about in her late 20's/early 30's.

"Good morning, class!" Ms. Haruna Sakurada greeted.

"Good morning, sensei!" the entire class greeted back and bowed.

The teacher had taken out a stack of papers from her bag. "Today, I'll be returning you all your English test papers. Some of you did really well and some of you have made a mistake or two."

Suddenly, the classroom door had slammed open.

"Sorry I'm late, Haruna-sensei!" A familiar voice exclaimed as there arrived Usagi Tsukino.

Suddenly, she turned to see a familiar pinkette. "EEH! How did you get here so fast, Tsubasa-san?!"

The person in question blinked in confusion as everyone looked at him. "I...rode my bicycle?"

"Usagi Tsukino! Stand outside so that I can deal with you later!" Ms. Haruna yelled, looking irate at the remulator troublemaker she had to deal with.

"B-but-" Usagi stammered.

"Now!" the teacher exclaimed, her tone in warning territory.

Usagi pouted as she left the classroom. Tsubasa looked worried, wondering if the odango girl would be in trouble.

Ms. Haruna began to hand the test papers over to the students. Tsubasa heard some whispering on his left. He turned to see a bespectacled boy sitting next to him. Gurio Umino was his name and those spectacles are his fame.

"Hey!" Umino hissed out. Tsubasa, not knowing what to do, gave a small wave.

"So how did you know Usagi-san?" he whispered, curiosity in his tone.

"I accidentally bumped into her earlier today," Tsubasa replied back.

"Oh,"

When the teacher reached Tsubasa's desk, she gave him the test paper.

 **63%**

"You've improved since the last test but I know that you can do better," she remarked, a soft smile on her face before it was turned into a scowl. "Now to see what that troublemaker Usagi is up to." With that, she goes out to see what the odango girl is up to.

"Is Usagi-san this much of a troublemaker?" Tsubasa whispered to Umino.

The bespectacled boy gave a sheepish chuckle. "You have no idea."

"MISS TSUKINO!" The teacher's shout had made both boys slightly jump out of their seats as all the students looked at the open door.

"See, this is why you always fail! You slack off and get distracted so easily!" As the teacher gave her a stern lecture, Tsubasa could hear Usagi wailing from outside.

The boy could only wince.

* * *

After school, Tsubasa was about to leave school with his bike until...

"Tsubasa-san!"

He turned to see Usagi and her best friend Naru Osaka walking towards him. Naru was a brunette who wore a green bow on her head.

"Oh, hey Usagi-san. I see that Naru-san's with you." Tsubasa said.

"Yep! We're about to go to the jewelry store!" Usagi told him.

"My mom's having a huge sale today." Naru added.

"A sale?" he repeated.

She nodded. "Something about a special occasion or something like that."

Tsubasa raised an eyebrow. That's actually quite strange. OSA-P only have sales when it's the holidays. Then again, he doesn't go to the jewelry store.

"So we were wondering if you'd like to come with us?" Usagi offered.

The pinkette thought about it. On one hand, he was a dude and didn't have time for jewelry. On the other hand, it beats doing nothing.

"I'm in," he finally said.

* * *

As they were on their way, they began to talk about the superheroine, Sailor V. She had recently stopped three robberies in a go. Naru was quite amazed by such a feat, yet Usagi didn't have a clue as to who Sailor V was, causing both Naru and Tsubasa to sweatdropped.

When they had arrived, the entire store was really packed with many customers. A lot of women were trying on various accessories and buying stuff as well.

"It's quite packed here," Tsubasa murmured.

"There's my mom! Let's go and say hi!" Naru pointed out as they walked up to a tall and slender brunette. "Hey, mom!"

The woman turned to them and gave a polite smile. However, Tsubasa felt a strange aura emitting from her.

"Welcome back, Naru-chan!" Mayumi Osaka greeted her daughter.

"I brought my friends here," Naru said, introducing Usagi and Tsubasa.

"Hi!" Usagi greeted while Tsubasa gave a small wave.

"Welcome! It's a bit crowded here, but feel free to take a look," Mrs. Osaka said. "Say, since you're Naru-chan's friends, I'll be happy to offer you a discount!"

Usagi looked jubilant. "Really?! I feel so lucky!"

Tsubasa, however, gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I don't wear jewelry."

The saleswoman gave a hearty laugh. "Oh, you don't have to worry about that! You can get one for your girlfriend!"

The boy laughed in response. "Maybe someday when I actually get one." He looked at his watch. "I better get going. I'all see you in school tomorrow!"

"Bye, Tsubasa-san!" Usagi said as the boy had left. Now, she had to get that discount. Hopefully she had enough since she used up most of her allowance.

* * *

As he stepped out of the building, Tsubasa couldn't help but feel uneasy at Mayumi's aura. There was something dark that she was emitting, which was unusual since she was actually a really nice woman.

Suddenly, his train of thought was broken when he had accidentally bumped into something. Or someone.

When he looked up to see who it was, it was a tall black-haired boy wearing sunglasses and smartly-dressed clothes. He seemed older than most teens.

"Sorry about that," Tsubasa apologized. "I didn't watch where I was going."

"No worries," the boy replied, adjusting his shades. "Try to be careful next time."

He nodded as he went to get his bike.

"That's your bicycle?" the young man asked.

"Yeah. Why?" Tsubasa inquired.

"You should keep it locked at the bike rack," the guy advised.

"I would if I could find one,"

"You mean like that one?" the boy pointed right across the road. Tsubasa pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I think I'm starting to lose my groove," the ravenette grumbled, causing the other boy to give a small chuckle.

"I can wonder what your groove is like," he remarked.

"It's a bit of this and that," Tsubasa replied. "But thanks for the advice."

"No problem," the boy said as they both went their separate ways.

* * *

"I'm home!" Tsubasa announced as he stepped into the house. No response once again.

He sighed as he went upstairs to his bedroom to take a shower before he went to do his homework.

It can get quite lonely and boring in his house. He wondered when he would be able to get into the action once more. There hasn't been a single crime or attack that's happened recently.

Suddenly, beeping sounds were heard, causing Tsubasa to walk up to his backpack. He began to rummage through until he found the item he was looking for.

A black helmet.

It was a black helmet that covered the entire face. Two red circles served as the visor.

"What's going on?" he asked the helmet.

The visor shone two lights on his eyes. In an instant, he could see someone getting attack by a rather ghastly creature. It had really sharp claws for nails and could cut through anything.

He noticed that the victim was Naru Osaka!

Recoiling back, he had immediately put the helmet on and stood up tall.

 **"Kurogane, yatte yaruze!"**

In an instant, metallic pieces began to extract from underneath the helmet and began to spread all over his body from head to toe. As soon as he was fully covered, a long white scarf sprouted out from the back of the helmet as well.

There stood a warrior of the dark before he fled into the night.

* * *

Naru Osaka was currently struggling for her life. When she noticed the customers falling unconscious, something was definitely wrong. She went to ask her mother what was happening. To her horror, her mother was replaced by a demonic impersonator! Right now, she was trying to fight back against her captor, who was strangling her.

"After I kill you, I'll send your mother to join you in the next world!" the fiend, Morga snarled, preparing to claw Naru. The girl could only close her eyes and brace herself from the impact.

"Hold it right there!"

Both of them turned around to see a girl in a sailor fuku, though it looked rather skimpy.

"Who are you?!" Morga demanded.

Surprised, the costumed girl tried to come up with something. "Um, I'm the Sailor Warrior of Love and Justice, Sailor Moon!" She did what would be her signature pose. "In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

Morga sneered. "Sailor Moon? I've never heard of such a thing! No matter," the fiend had dropped Naru. "Awaken, my slaves and eliminate her!"

The unconscious customers had risen like zombies and began to lunge at Sailor Moon. Panicking, the heroine tried to dodge them but one slave had tried to stab her with a broken glass bottle! Sailor Moon had collapsed by a pillar because of that wound.

"Now, die!" Morga yelled as she tried to stab the downed heroine with her claw. With fear overtaking her, Sailor Moon screamed in terror.

"TI-EAH!"

Out of the sudden, something or someone had knocked Morga down. Sailor Moon had opened her eyes and saw a figure in black, crouching at the fiend. What she noticed was that he had a scarf under the helmet.

"Ugh! You wretch, you'll pay for that!" Morga growled as she got up.

The figure said nothing as he slowly stood up and took a battle stance.

"Minions! Attack him!" the demon ordered.

The zombified customers charged at the masked figure. He began to grab and throw them or flip them over. It started off well, but they only stoof back up, continuing to surround and overwhelm him.

A black cat was behind a pillar and stood by Sailor Moon. "Sailor Moon, you have to do something!"

"I-I don't know what to do!" the heroine panicked. "I don't wanna play this game anymore!" With that, she began to wail. This, however, had created sound waves which damaged Morga and her zombie minions's hearing. The victims had fallen unconscious.

"AARGH! STOP THAT CRYING!" Morga yelled, clutching her ears.

"Now, say Moon Tiara Action!" the cat told Sailor Moon.

The heroine stopped crying and stood back up. "Moon Tiara Action!" With that, she took off her tiara and tossed it at Morga. The impact on the fiend made her scream in agony as she disintegrated into dust.

Sailor Moon had put on her tiara once it was returned to her as she sighed in relief. She turned her head to see the mysterious figure standing back up.

"Um, Mr. Scarfman?" she called out. The figure turned to her and stared at her. With that, she bowed her head in gratitude. "Thank you so much for helping me!" Wen she looked back up, the figure just kept on staring.

It was a long silence until the figure sensed something. He quickly turned and grabbed something in the air. Sailor Moon and the cat were surprised as they all turned to see where it came from.

Up at the high window was a masked figure wearing a tuxedo and a top hat. Even if he wore the mask, he looked rather devilishly handsome with the coolness he exuded.

Both mysterious figures in black stared off at each other before Tuxedo Mask had leaped off the window. The scarfman looked to see what he had in his hand.

It was a rose.

He had no idea if this was meant for Sailor Moon or was Tuxedo Mask's trademark, but whatever the case, he merely handed it to the heroine as it was harmless.

Sailor Moon looked surprised at such a gift and took it. "T-thank you."

The figure gave her a thumbs up, causing the heroine to blush. With that, he began to run out of the store and into the night.

"Wait!" Sailor Moon called out, but he was already gone. She never got his name, but she would definitely remember him.

The cat beside her, however, had eyed the scarf hero. There was something familiar about this person.

* * *

 **A little experimental AU fic I've always wanted to do. It was quite on my mind for a while. Shadow Justice is a cheesy name, but then again, cheesiness comes with superheroes.**


	2. Ep 2: Fortune Told, Youma’s Misfortune

Usagi was tired. Fighting that youma from last night had exhausted her. Considering that she was almost killed, it was almost jarring. She found it hard to sleep since she was chosen to become a superheroine. Yesterday was already bad enough. First she gets insulted by some jerk about failing that test, then gets kicked out (temporarily) by her mom for failing said test, and she gets chosen by a talking cat called Luna to become Sailor Moon. She wished that it was all a dream but when she found that accursed brooch by her desk, she realized that it was all too real. She should've been careful what she wished for. Still, the thought of facing youma this dangerous made her nervous.

 _But that guy..._

There was one thing that came out well from yesterday. Her savior in black armor. He had eyes as red as the sunset, but wore a scarf as white as snow. He looked really menacing and if he were on the opposite side, it would've been difficult to imagine how the scenario would've played out. Instead, he fought off that youma and tried to take down those mind-controlled victims without trying to hurt them. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't have been able to rescue Naru and deliver the finishing blow to the youma.

 _Who was he?_

Then there was another guy who was also there. A black tuxedo with an eye mask. He was standing by the high window, watching the entire battle unfold. Just what were his motives? It couldn't be a coincidence.

 _And he threw a rose..._

The rose looked very harmless, other than the thorns. It was first thrown by the man in the tuxedo. However, the scarf guy caught it. And he gave it to her. It was as if he checked to see if it was safe as a gift.

She placed her hands on her cheeks as she thought this sudden love triangle. There were hearts in her eyes as these two mysterious heroes fought for her heart while they also battled evil together. It was like every shojo manga she had read!

"Usagi!"

The odango girl snapped her head up as she saw Miss Haruna's glare right in front of her. Whoops! She was asleep again! Can you blame her? Class was so boring!

"Outside now!" The teacher ordered.

"B-but..." Usagi weakly protested.

"Now!" She affirmed.

The girl began to mope as she walked out. Tsubasa was sitting by the corner, facepalming at how she was supposed to be the heroine Sailor Moon.

Oh, he knew that Usagi was the Warrior of Love and Justice. Nobody could ever pull off the blonde odango twintails. Fortunately for him, she didn't seem to recognize him since he wore a full-scale helmet.

It was still baffling as to how people don't seem to recognize her. Magical properties? Who knew? All that mattered is that there were villains on the loose and he needs as much help as he can get to defeat them.

* * *

Tsubasa was riding back to his house on his bicycle. Even when fatigued, the breeze really went through his hair.

"Tsubasa!"

The pinkette braked as he turned to see Usagi catching up to him.

"Usagi-san, what's up?" he greeted.

"No need to call me 'san'. Usagi is fine," she told him.

"Really?" he asked.

"Of course! We're friends, aren't we?"

Were they friends? Acquaintances, yes. But friends? That's a bit of a stretch since he just met her since yesterday. However, she seemed to be someone that was happy to make friends with. Friends was okay. However, he needed to take it slow in order to make sure the trust was strong.

"I thought we were acquaintances," he mused.

"Aw, don't be like that!" she said cheerfully. "We are buddies!"

Tsubasa sweatdropped as they walked along the street.

"It's finally great to walk back with another 'go-home' club partner," Usagi remarked.

"I thought Naru was your 'go-home' club partner," Tsubasa said.

"Who says that I can't have more than one partner?" she said with a grin. Can't argue with that.

Suddenly, they caught sight of a booth. A fortune telling booth. It was a rather kindly old man in priest robes.

"What happened here? There's usually a long line," Usagi wondered.

The fortune teller laughed. "I guess it's because there's competition. Look,"

The young teens turned around to see a place called the Fortune House.

"It's awfully gaudy," Usagi commented.

"Yet it's awfully shady," Tsubasa said. He could feel a dark presence there. "What is it?"

"The beauty from Juubangai," the fortune teller answered.

"Is it the same kind of fortune telling that you do?" Usagi asked.

"Yes. Everyone likes new things," he sadly said.

"True, but nostalgia is more interesting," Tsubasa remarked.

Usagi placed her hand out. "Can I have a fortune reading?"

The fortune teller smiled as he used his magnifying glass to read her palm. "Hmm...there's a man that likes you right now and it's someone you see all the time."

Unknown to them, Umino had stepped into the Fortune House.

"Woah, I wonder who it is?" Usagi wondered.

Tsubasa places his hand out. "Try me, please,"

The fortune teller examines the boy's hand. "Interesting..."

"What is it?" he asked, curious.

"The web of bonds you will create shall become strong," the fortune teller said cryptically.

"Web of bonds, huh?" Tsubasa mused as Usagi tried to understand.

* * *

"I wonder why I got a simple answer while you got a really interesting one?" Usagi wondered as both teens were walking through the street.

"It's just fortune telling," Tsubasa said. "Words can be vague."

"Still, someone that I always see that likes me," Usagi pondered. "Maybe it's..."

She squeed hard to think about it. Her companion rolled his eyes. They had finally arrived at the Game Center Crown, a well known arcade center in all of Juuban.

"What are we doing here?" Tsubasa asked.

"We're waiting for him," Usagi answered.

"Who?" Tsubasa asked.

"Motoki," she answered with a dreamy smile.

"Hey, Usagi-chan," greeted a voice.

Both looked to see a gorgeous blonde young man. He looked a tad bit older than them due to his height, but he had a really charming smile on his face. Motoki Furuhata worked part-time at the Game Center Crown. He also had another part-time job, but that's for another time.

"Perfect timing! I was about to get to work," he said. "Whose your friend? Usually, I see you with Naru,"

"H-Hi, Motoki onii-san!" she greeted. "This is Tsubasa!"

"Nice to meet you, Motoki-san," Tsubasa offered a handshake.

"No need for the formalities," Motoki said as he accepted it. "Any friend of Usagi's is also a friend of mine!"

The boy in the school cap smiled. He was really friendly.

"Say, the new Sailor V game came out. Have you checked it out yet?" Motoki asked as they got inside.

"Not yet!" Usagi answered, despite not having a clue who Sailor V was.

* * *

"C'mon, there!" Usagi was struggling in the game as Tsubasa was watching. So far, her character defeated an ogre and jumped over a worm. Unfortunately, she was killed by a dragon.

"Oh, game over?!" she exclaimed in frustration. Tsubasa winced.

"It really is hard, isn't it?" Motoki asked.

Usagi sheepishly smile. "Eh heh, yeah."

Motoki sat next to her and entered a token. "Here, I'll show you how to play,"

"No..." she tried to insist, but she had realized that she touched his hands.

"It's alright," Motoki said. "My treat."

The odango girl was blushing with a smile. Tsubasa snickered. As the game clerk was demonstrating how to play the game, Usagi felt her heart beating faster. She felt nervous, but she was also happy to be seated next to her crush.

Tsubasa noticed a cat nearby. It was the same black cat he encountered last night. Looking closer, the cat had a crescent sign on it's head.

Usagi suddenly noticed the cat. "Luna, what are you doing here?"

 _So the cat's name was Luna_ , Tsubasa thought.

"It's been around here lately. I wonder if it's a stray?" Motoki asked.

Tsubasa smirked at the cute glare the cat was giving before it pounced on Usagi's uniform.

"H-hey, what are you doing?!" Usagi panicked as she tried to shake Luna off. "Stop it! Okay, I'm going! I'm going!"

She picked up her school bag. "I've gotta go now,"

"Oh, but we're still in the middle of the game," Motoki said with a smile.

"I can take over," Tsubasa said as he sat on the chair to play the game.

"Don't worry, I'll come back again," Usagi said. "Bye, Tsubasa!" With that, she left the place.

"I'll be waiting. I feel good every time I see your face," Motoki said while Tsubasa gave a wave. Unknown to them, Usagi was blushing up a storm as she left. The clerk looked over and was startled at the game's progress. "Final boss already? That was fast."

The average arcade game has about six to eight stages. Usagi left when Motoki reached stage three. Tsubasa was on the seventh and final boss.

* * *

Tsubasa was normally a modest guy, but he felt like a king when he got the high score. He was walking back home feeling rather jubilant. However, that might soon fade away when he returned home.

Suddenly, he heard some grumpy grumbling around. He turned to see that it was the same guy who pointed out the bike rack. The guy's eyes meet with his.

"Hey, you're that guy from yesterday," he said as he went to greet Tsubasa.

"Yeah," was what the boy muttered.

"I see you still have your bike," he said with a playful smile. "Find any bike racks?"

The ravenette chuckled. "Of course. Won't make that same mistake again,"

"So what brings you out here?" the older boy asked.

"Well, I was returning back home," Tsubasa answered "What about you? For someone so smartly dressed, you must've been really busy."

"I was just passing along. I better go back now," he said as he walked passed. "By the way, my name's Mamoru in case we ever meet again."

"Tsubasa," was all the boy said as he went on his way.

 _Tsubasa, I'll remember that..._ , Mamoru thought. Still, he was suspicious of the Fortune House.

* * *

The next day, Tsubasa was walking to school as usual. Nothing interesting was lost or found. However, he still had a lingering feeling about what was going on from yesterday.

"Umino-kun, what is that outfit?" the voice of Ms. Haruna was heard as Tsubasa went to see what was the commotion.

Gurio Umino was wearing a monkey suit (he said that instead of business because the suit Umino wore looked tacky) while Usagi and Naru were looking bewildered. The bespectacled boy's response was to take out his lunch and eat it.

"What are you thinking?" the teacher looked irate.

The boy ignored her and walked passed her, but not before tossing the teacher's skirt up in the air. Ms. Haruna yelled in horror as the back of her panties was a sight to behold.

"I'm thinking of that!" Umino answered in a snide tone as he laughed mischievously. Tsubasa could feel darkness omitting from him.

The two girls were still stunned at this turn of events while their teacher still look horrified, blush on her face.

"WAAAH!" she bawled as she crumpled to the floor. "No one will marry me now!"

"Why did Umino-san do that?" Tsubasa whispered to Usagi and Naru.

"I dunno," Naru answered. "He's usually a timid and shy boy, but now he's pulled a 180."

"And he asked me on a date," Usagi added, a look of disdain on her face.

"Tsubasa-kun, don't tell me you saw that!" Ms. Haruna asked in a griefstricken tone.

Tsubasa shifted his eyes quickly, before he shook his head rapidly while pulling his cap down over his eyes. Usagi and Naru narrowed their eyes at the quick denial. Nevertheless, their teacher was still sobbing uncontrollably.

* * *

During class, all the students were looking at Umino's new crass behavior. He was reading manga while laughing out loud. Ms. Haruna was on the verge of a breaking point as she tried to write on the chalkboard. Umino's next laugh had made her snap her chalk.

"That is enough!" she exclaimed, though her cheeks were still blushing from the morning's events. She tried to walk up to Umino, but she fell over. She looked up to see another student as the culprit.

"What are you doing, Yuuji-kun?!" she asked with an angry look on her face.

"Sensei, you're supposed to walk quietly in the classroom," Yuuji answered with a sneer.

"What did you say?!" she questioned, her anger rising as Umino was laughing at his teacher's blunder.

Usagi look puzzled, but Tsubasa was suspicious.

* * *

After class, Tsubasa was helping clean up the classroom as Ms. Haruna gathered her things. He volunteered to stay back to make sure his teacher was coping.

"Are you alright, sensei?" Tsubasa asked.

"I'm fine, Tsubasa-kun," his teacher answered. "I don't know what's gotten into those two. They're usually quiet and well-behaved students,"

"I think it's a rebellious phase," the pinkette said. "Don't worry about it,"

"I hope so too," she sighed as she looked at her student. "I hope you don't act like them,"

"Why? Afraid I might drop out?" he remarked with a smirk.

"Don't you ever do that," she warned. "What would I say if one of my favorite students became a vagrant?"

"So I'm one of your favorites?" he said with a grin.

"Oi, don't make fun of me!" she chided playfully.

"Sorry, sorry," he said with a smile.

Suddenly, they heard glass shattering. Worried, they both ran up to the windows to check out the commotion.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" A male teacher yelled as a group of boys were throwing stones at the window. One of them was Umino.

"This has gone too far!" Ms. Haruna exclaimed as she went down to stop this mess. Tsubasa's eyes had widened. He could feel darkness within those boys.

He ran as well, though much faster and using a shorter route. When he got there, he saw Usagi and Naru confronting Umino.

"What are you doing? Stop this now!" Usagi exclaimed to the bespectacled boy.

He smirked as he grabbed onto Usagi's shoulders. "Hey, Usagi! How about a kiss?"

Usagi's lips trembled before she burst into tears. "I don't like it when you're like this!"

"Oi!" Tsubasa exclaimed as he went to separate the two. "What do you think you're doing?"

Usagi's bawling, however, had so many decibels that it caused Naru, Umino and the other boys to cover their eyes.

"Let's get outta here!" Umino ordered as he and his gang ran off.

Tsubasa turned to Usagi as he gently tried to calm her down. "Ssh...Usagi, they're gone already."

The odango girl's wailing slowly died down into sniffs. "T-Tsubasa?"

"Yeah, it's me and Naru-san," he said with both he and Naru giving a reassuring smile.

The blonde girl sniffed and dried off her tears before giving a smile. "I feel better now. Thanks."

Naru could only facepalm from that episode while Tsubasa gave a soft laugh. However, his smile turned into a frown. If his suspicions are right, he knew where to go.

* * *

"You have done well," said the fortune teller Balm, as the boys in front of her lined up like soldiers. "Now go and wreak havoc around the town!"

"Yes, mistress," Umino said.

"What's worse than old men being envious of youth and popularity, are those that think nothing of people's feelings!"

Everyone looked at the front door, where the voice was coming from.

"Who's there?" Balm demanded.

The door slammed open as there stood Sailor Moon.

"Sailor warrior of love and justice, Sailor Moon!" she announced, doing her trademark pose.

"Sailor Moon?" Balm questioned.

"In the name of the moon, I will punish you!" Sailor Moon exclaimed as she got ready.

Balm prepared a deck of tarot cards and tossed them at her target. Sailor Moon was lucky enough to duck as they ended up sticking on the wall behind her. She was even luckier that another card almost cut her face.

"Hey, watch it!" the heroine shouted, looking annoyed.

"You don't have time for that!" Luna reminded from behind the door.

"Oh, yeah."

The elegant and mysterious looking Balm transformed into a demonic youma, reminiscent of a gorgon. "Get her!"

The boys turned zombified as they began to pounce on the heroine. Sailor Moon looked terrified as she ran from them.

"Noooo!" she screamed as the boys ran after her before they had her cornered.

"If you get any closer, you're going to get hurt!" Sailor Moon warned. However, she was outnumbered. She closed her eyes to brace for the impact.

"DYAH!"

"ARGH!" Balm yelled as she was attacked.

Sailor Moon's eyes opened wide as she looked over to see a familiar face.

 _It's him!_

The scarf knight had arrived on time.

"Another intruder?" Balm slowly got up. "How dare you?!"

The armored warrior slowly got up and got into a battle stance.

"You!" Sailor Moon called out in joy. He turned to her with a nod. Suddenly, Balm let out another yell of pain. A rose that shot right at her, which caused her control to be broken.

"Looks like I made it on time."

Everyone turned to see the man in the tuxedo, arms crossed as he stood by the door.

"And who are you?!" Balm demanded, looking more irritated at these interferences. It was bad enough that there were two annoyances. Now there was a third annoyance that made her lose control.

"I am Tuxedo Mask and your control is now broken," he turned to Sailor Moon with a smile. "Don't give up, no matter how hard it is, Sailor Moon. You even have allies to fight by your side."

Sailor Moon smiled brightly. "Okay!"

Tuxedo Mask began to exit. "We'll meet again soon,"

"Thank you, Tuxedo Mask!" Sailor Moon called out with hearts in her eyes.

"RAARGH!" Balm roared as she lunged at Sailor Moon from behind. Before the heroine turned around, the youma was suddenly brought down by the scarfman.

"Mr. Scarfman!"

He began punching away before Balm's claw hair grabbed onto him and threw him like a ragdoll. Unfortunately for her, this ragdoll knew how to land on his feet. Balm took out another deck of cards before tossing them at her target. The armored warrior formed a circular shield in front of him, deflecting the fatal cards. Balm began to attack him with her claw hair. The scarfman began to dodge each attack before knocking his opponent down with a cartwheel kick.

Getting up, he crossed his arms right in front of him, causing energy to be formed. He began to stick his arms out in a cross formation before spreading it out separately. He raised his right hand up high before sticking it in an L-shape, causing a ray of energy to fire towards Balm.

As the youma got up, she did not see a ray of energy coming towards her as screamed in agony before it exploded on her.

 **BOOM!**

Sailor Moon watched in awe at her ally's ability, but Luna had a speculative look. She wondered where she had seen this ability before. Balm began to disintegrate and all that was left of her was dust and a tarot card before they disappeared.

The slowly moved out from the possessed boys before they disappeared. The boys blinked and wondered what happened. This was the heroes cue to leave.

"Take care!" Sailor Moon called out before they ran out of the building.

When they finally left, Sailor Moon turned around. "Where did he go?"

Luna looked up into the night sky. Who was this armored knight? It was obvious that he was an ally, but she needed to remember.

From the top of a building stood the armored warrior, his scarf flowing freely in the wind. With one last look, he flew off.

* * *

"Huh?! I flipped Ms. Haruna's skirt?!" Umino was in shock as to what happened yesterday.

"Yeah, and you tried to kiss Usagi!" Naru said, not knowing the mortified look on the bespectacled boy's face before he sulked away. "And you threw rocks at the teacher-hey, where are you going?"

"All that's left for me is misery..." Umino mumbled.

"Hi!"

Umino jumped at Usagi's sudden appearance in front of him."U-Usagi...about yesterday..."

The odango girl just smiled. "Don't worry about it!"

Umino perked up. "You're right! I shouldn't worry about it. You're always okay when you get bad grades on your tests after all!"

Usagi's eye twitched.

"I need to be more like you!" the bespectacled boy declared as he walked off.

"Sheesh! He doesn't know the trouble I go through!" Usagi exclaimed, looking irate. Sure he meant well, but he can be a bit blunt and insensitive.

Suddenly, the school bell rang.

"Oh, no!" Usagi was late! She ran, though she tripped over a crack "WAAH!"

 **CRASH!**

"Owie!" Usagi muttered as she tried to rub her pain away.

"Need a hand?" the odango girl looked up to see Tsubasa with his bicycle, offering the girl up.

She smiled and graciously took it while she got up. "Thanks, Tsubasa!"

* * *

 **Episode two is complete! With a lot of episodes in the Sailor Moon show, I'm trying to cut down the filler a bit. Which filler episodes would you want to see?**


	3. Ep 3: Radio Talk, Shitennou Strikes

Tsubasa never thought that having to partner with someone would be rather stressful. Especially if it was someone like Sailor Moon. Don't get him wrong, having to work with allies is great since it'll help defeat the enemy easier. However, it gets rather difficult when you're partnering with someone so inexperienced and green. It didn't matter if he had to do all the work. If you can't hold on your own, you might as well stop right now because innocents will be hurt.

And with many battles, he thought that she would improve by now. By a degree, she might have. However, her progresses had either slight improvement or had stagnated. At first, she had done really well.

* * *

 _The gym was a cover for youma as another scheme for their plans. They would tire their customers out and put them in "relaxation pods". In reality, those pods would consume their energy or lifeforce._

 _Three bodybuilders had been brainwashed to serve their master's bidding, as they began to lunge towards the two heroes. The armored warrior was delivering his energy stream attack to the source while Sailor Moon backs him up. Surprisingly, she was doing quite well as she delivered powerful punches and kicks towards her opponents. Who knew that someone so lithe and graceful could deliver quite an attack? While she fought them, she was saying something that was related to exercise? Never mind that._

 _With the attack completed, the source engulfed in a bright light that blinded the possessed bodybuilders. Sailor Moon used this opportunity to deliver a Moon Tiara Action to destroy the headbands on their foreheads._

 _Another job well done, Sailor Moon let out a satisfied breath. "Maybe from that workout, I lost at least one kilogram."_

 _The scarfman walked up to her and lifted his hand up in the air. Understanding what he meant, she smiled brightly and gave a high-five. At least their partnership was growing stronger._

* * *

The next day, he had found Usagi looking depressed, muttering something about gaining weight. He had no idea what was up with her. It could explain the 1 kg she was talking about, but that was all he knew.

In fact, she even had a new power. One that cleanses the evil out of victims. That was during the chanelas incident.

* * *

 _Many of the possessed victims were pet owners of the chanelas, strange and cute little critters that were used to consume energy from having been owned too much. They were like lizard zombies since they were transformed through possession. Sailor Moon was currently surrounded while her partner in-crime was fighting the lizard youma, Iguara._

 _Currently, he grabbed her by the tail and swung her around. Three swings and he threw her out of the window before jumping out to follow._

 _Sailor Moon couldn't use Moon Tiara Action. It was guaranteed to eliminate the enemy, but Shingo was among the possessed!_

 _"Sailor Moon, yell Moon Tiara Stardust!" Luna exclaimed._

 _Taking her tiara off, she threw it in the air. "Moon Tiara Stardust!"_

 _The tiara had circled around the possessed victims, dropping some sort of dust over them. Slowly, they started turning back into humans._

 _Sailor Moon sighed in relief, until she realized something._

 _"Oh, no! That scarfman is still fighting that youma!" she exclaimed as she ran out of the building and into the parking lot. She gasped as she saw her partner thrown into a car, causing a dent on the side of the vehicle._

 _"HRARGH!" the armored warrior growled as he felt the impact of the throw._

 _Before Iguara could proceed to finish him, a kick had knocked the youma back. Growling in anger, she faced Sailor Moon who was preparing another strike. In an instant, the lizard youma proceeded to deliver a claw attack. Sailor Moon had quickly dodged, but fell into a trap as she was caught by the neck with the tail._

 _The armored warrior slowly got up and looked to see what's happening. Summoning an energy disk in his hand, it manifested into a buzzsaw._

 _"DAAH!" he yelled as he threw the projectile at Iguara. Within the high velocity, the sharp edges landed right at the tailbone._

 _Iguara roared in pain as her tail was separated, freeing Sailor Moon. The heroine got off the dismembered tail before she took off her tiara. "Moon Tiara Action!"_

 _The tiara was thrown at Iguara. Within the impact, the lizard youma let out one final scream before she was disintegrated._

 _After that was done, both heroes shared a look. If Sailor Moon was smiling, she would guess that the armored hero was also smiling under that helmet as well._

 _"Sailor V! Scarfman!"_

 _The heroine turned to see Shingo running up to them. Before she turned around, she realized that the scarfman was flying off into the sky. She looked dismayed at the sudden departure._

* * *

He chuckled at her reaction. Still, he should get a better name for his superhero persona. Scarfman? Seriously? That's a rather less intimidating name. Maybe something like Darkness Hero. Shadow Fighter. Dark Justice.

Or maybe...Tenebrae?

Seems like a fitting name. He's quiet and dark like the shadows, he fights for the side of justice...a really good name. Plus, it adds an aura of mystique and enigma.

Still, she has the power. Time will tell how she'll manage to use it wisely.

Breaking out of his thoughts was the classroom door being opened. Ms. Haruna looked like a mess! She walked in looking rather groggy and sleepy, evident by the sudden trip from the floor.

Everyone looked worried. Facing the class, there was a brief moment of silence. After that...

"Hah," their teacher sighed, causing most of the students to look stupefied.

"Let's take a roll call," she said lazily. As she dropped the attendance record on the podium, Tsubasa and Usagi noticed a purple flower brooch on her blazer. "Actually, today we'll be doing self-study. Just study whatever you want."

Tsubasa felt alarmed. He noticed a dark aura coming from his teacher. She let out a yawn before sleeping on the podium desk. Everyone was bewildered beyond belief. Their teacher, someone with a lot of energy, was sleeping on the job. Tsubasa did the riskiest thing to do in a classroom: make noise.

Taking his textbook up, he slammed it on the table. This caught everyone's attention, but Ms. Haruna was still asleep.

"Tsubasa-kun, what are you doing?" Usagi asked, worried.

The cap-wearing boy didn't answer before he walked up to their teacher. He yelled like a savage in his teacher's ear. Everyone was shocked, but their teacher didn't wake up. He raised her head up and gave her several painful slaps. Now everyone was freaked out at their teacher waking up and getting mad. However, she was still asleep. Looking at the other students, Tsubasa's face looked grim.

"Someone call another teacher," he said.

And so class had ended early, with Ms. Haruna being hospitalized.

* * *

"Midnight Zero?" Tsubasa questioned as he walked along with Usagi and Naru.

"Yeah! It's recently on channel FM No. 10. They're airing on love letters like a matchmaking service," Naru answered, feeling rather giddy that she had sent her letter. "I even sent a letter to them!"

"Really? Who was the letter for?" Usagi asked.

"It doesn't really matter. You can even write it for your future boyfriend," Naru answered.

"Wow, maybe I can write one for my future boyfriend as well!" Usagi exclaimed in awe as she was daydreaming about what her future boyfriend would look like.

Unfortunately, her daydream had her bump into someone on accident. Going back to reality, she realized what happened and bowed her head.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention," she apologized. She looked up to see the last person she wanted to see.

Mamoru laughed as he looked at her. "That's good, apologizing to the telephone pole."

Usagi's eye twitched in anger while Naru blushed. Tsubasa looked at him in surprise.

"But that may be a problem if the warm weather is affecting your head," Mamoru added as he laughed.

"What did you say?!" Usagi exclaimed in anger.

"You heard me, odango atama," the tall boy said with a smirk. He turned to see the pinkette. "Tsubasa, good to see you again!"

"Hey, Mamoru," Tsubasa greeted.

"Wait, you two know each other?!" Usagi asked in disbelief.

"We met outside Naru's mom's store," Tsubasa said.

"That's where I ran into him!" Usagi exclaimed.

"Still failing those grades, odango?" Mamoru asked, smirking. "I wouldn't be surprised."

"Grr..." Usagi clenched her teeth. "That's none of your business!"

"I overheard you saying that you're dreaming of getting a boyfriend." Mamoru said before letting out a 'Hah!'. "With your clumsiness, I think they'll be getting dates with you in the hospital!"

Naru had to hold back Usagi from throttling the older boy. Tsubasa looked at the watch.

"Oh, we have to go now," Tsubasa said. "It was nice meeting you."

"See you, Tsubasa," Mamoru said before looking at Usagi. "Try not to run into any poles, not that it's possible."

With a laugh, he walked off.

"Wow, who knew that you two know a gorgeous guy like him?" Naru wondered, a blush adorned on his face.

"He is not gorgeous!" Usagi yelled in annoyance. "He ticks me off!"

Tsubasa placed a hand on his face to cover his embarrassment.

"And you!"

The pinkette looked at an angry Usagi with a confused look.

"Me?"

"Of course! Why are you so buddy-buddy with that jerk?!" Usagi asked in suspicion.

He raised his hands in defense. "It just happened! He told me where the bike racks were and we met again around the fortune teller's block."

"What?! And you didn't tell me?!" she demanded.

"I didn't think you knew him as well!" he shot back.

This bickering went on until they reached O-SAP.

"Seriously you two, it's like watching a married couple argue," Naru remarked.

"What?!" Usagi exclaimed, slightly flustered. "Y-You need to get your eyes checked then! We are not and never will be a married couple!"

Tsubasa facepalmed and shook his head. "Goodbye, Naru-san." he said flatly as he walked off.

"H-hey, wait up!" Usagi called out as she ran off to catch up with him, causing Naru to shake her head with a smile.

* * *

"Say, Tsubasa-kun," Usagi began.

"Hm?"

"Do you think I would ever get a boyfriend?" she asked.

"What brought this on?" the pinkette asked with a raised eyebrow. That was a question that was out of the blue.

"It's just that jerk. He said that I would only get boys hurt because of my clumsiness," she pouted.

"He's just trying to get under your skin," he said. "Nothing to make a big deal out of."

"But what if he's right? What if I can't get one because of that?" she sulked.

"Hey, if I known you for about now, I think that you might get a boyfriend," he said, causing the odango girl to look at him. "Let's see, your clumsiness is your charm, your odango hair makes you cuter and your optimism brings the smiles of those around you."

She brightened, until she realized something. "Wait, what was that last part you said?"

"Your optimism brings the smiles of those around you?"

"Before that."

"Your clumsiness is your charm?"

"After that."

"Your odango hair makes you cuter?"

At that, there was a tint of pink on her face. However, Tsubasa didn't seem to notice. "Y-You think I'm cute?"

"Well, yeah. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised that you would snag a boyfriend immediately."

Usagi brightened at that. "You know what? You're right! Maybe I'll write a letter to my future boyfriend and send it to Midnight Zero! Thanks!"

"Yea-wait." Before he could say anything else, Usagi had already left. He sighed. "That's not what I meant."

* * *

The next day, Usagi and her classmates were gathered around Naru's desk. Apparently, her love letter was read out on last night's listening. She was holding a small package.

"Wow! That's the flower brooch?" one of her classmates, Yumiko (long-haired girl) asked.

"Yeah! It arrived this morning," Naru answered, feeling delighted.

"Naru-chan, you should open it now!" Usagi said, wondering what it looked like.

"Okay!" she agreed as she unwrapped it. It was a purple flower brooch. The same one Ms. Haruna wore yesterday.

"Wow, it's so pretty," her classmates awed.

"Hey, that's the same one Haruna-sensei wore," Usagi said.

"Really?" they wondered. "So the letter that was from the Haruna in love was the teacher's."

Usagi sighed with a smile. "That's kind of strange."

Naru placed the brooch on her collar.

"Wow, how cute!"

Just as Tsubasa entered the classroom, he felt a dark aura in the room. Looking around, he noticed that it was coming from Naru.

"I-I'm..." Naru was begin to feel tired as she closed her eyes. "...awfully...sleepy."

"Naru-chan?" Usagi asked in concern. All she got was a snore.

"Hey, what happened?" the short-haired girl, Kuri, asked.

"Naru! Naru!" Usagi shook her best friend. However as she touched her friend's shoulder, she began to feel fatigued as well. In an instant, she fell to the floor, asleep.

"Usagi!" Tsubasa yelled as he ran to her.

"Not Usagi too!" Yumiko exclaimed in worry. "Usagi!"

"Get a hold of yourself, Usagi-chan!" Kuri pleaded.

"We need to get them to the infirmary!" Tsubasa said as he lifted Usagi bridal-style.

Yumiko and Kuri nodded as they hefted Naru's arms over their shoulders. Tsubasa noticed that Naru was wearing the same flower brooch that his teacher wore yesterday. On the way, he felt Usagi snuggling into his chest, wondering what the odango girl was dreaming.

* * *

After the girls were placed on the infirmary cots, Tsubasa was talking with the two other girls.

"I don't know. Naru suddenly fell asleep when she put on the brooch," Kuri said, concern laced in her voice.

"Maybe she caught an illness. Like what the newspaper said!" Yumiko theorized.

"You mean the one that causes people to fall into a permanent sleep?" Kuri asked, feeling a slight fear.

"Isn't that a coma?" Tsubasa asked.

Both of them shook their heads as Yumiko explained. "Comas happen when something like a car accident caused it."

"We don't know what happened to them," Kuri added.

The pinkette looked at Naru. Something must be up with that flower brooch. He looked at the girls.

"Where did she get that brooch?" Tsubasa asked.

"Naru? She got it from the Midnight Zero channel," Yumiko answered.

"Every time someone's love letter gets read out, the sender receives a flower brooch," Kuri explained.

Midnight Zero? The show is broadcast at FM No. 10 radio station. It seems he found a lead.

"You two better get to class. I'll explain to the nurse what's happening." Tsubasa told them. The girls nodded as they left the room.

Once they left, the ravenette wondered about his options. He could sneak in before the show airs. With that in mind, he walks out of the room to begin his plan.

Unknown to him, Luna had been watching him the entire time. She had a suspicion that this boy held such power. Right now, she needed to wake up Usagi.

* * *

It was close to midnight and Tsubasa stood outside the radio station. He was wearing janitorial clothes complete with a hat and carrying a bag with him. Casually, he strolled through the front gate as the guard noticed.

"Hey! Another darn shift, huh?" the guard greeted. Tsubasa waved back as he proceeded to enter the building. Once he was inside, it was strangely quiet as he noticed that there were lack of workers here. Making his way through, he finally discovered that they were unconscious.

Taking off his hat and opening his bag, he brought out the black helmet before putting it on.

 **"KUROGANE, YATTE YARUZE!"**

With those words, the metal plates formed around his body with the white scarf sprouting out from underneath the helmet. Tenebrae began to navigate the radio room. Through the door's window, he noticed the DJ in the booth.

A tall blonde man, who wore some sort of strange uniform and was considered to be devilishly handsome. He looked almost like Motoki, but had some sort of sinister gleam in his eyes. There was a beautiful secretary standing right behind the booth. However, everyone else was unconscious. These must be the culprits.

Finding a way to lure them out, he began to search for the maintenance room as the show went on. When he got there, he opened the circuit breaker and pulled the lever down. Everything went dark.

* * *

The blackout had startled the DJ and his secretary. Evidently, he had a look of annoyance on his face.

"Flau, go and find out what happened," he ordered his secretary, who nodded and left the room. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "So close. Queen Beryl will not be pleased if this fails."

Fortunately, the lights went back on and the DJ had a smile on his face. Before he could continue...

 **BOOM!**

He stood up in alarm. Where did that explosion come from?! Walking out of the room, he saw Flau in her youma form fighting against a figure in black.

"So you're the one who keeps interfering in our plans," he muttered before he smirked. "My name Jadeite and this will be your last fight."

Flau let out a breath of dark energy, causing Tenebrae to avoid the oncoming explosion.

"Scarfman!"

The scarfman looked up to see Sailor Moon and her cat right behind and prepared for action.

"Oh, another pest?" Jadeite mused. "Flau, finish them off."

The youma let out another breath of dark energy as the trio jumped out of the way.

"The hallway is too narrow! We need to find a wider space!" Luna exclaimed.

Tenebrae carried Luna and took Sailor Moon's hand before running away from Flau.

"You won't escape me!" the youma yelled as she chased after them with dark energy breaths.

The heroes took the emergency exit as they avoided oncoming blasts. Finally, they managed to reach the rooftop while Sailor Moon tried to catch her breath. Unfortunately, Flau had leaped up high into the sky.

"This is where you die!" she yelled before delivering another dark energy breath. Fortunately, the shot came from afar. And both heroes were prepared.

Tenebrae formed the circular energy shield right in front of him while Sailor Moon took off her tiara.

 **BOOM!**

Fortunately, while the armored warrior was disoriented, they were still unscathed.

"Moon Tiara Action!"

The tiara was shot towards Flau...only to pass her. Luna looked shocked while the youma grinned.

"Where were you planning to aim?" she mocked.

Sailor Moon redirected the flying tiara like a boomerang.

 **SLASH!**

Flau roared in pain as she was sliced in half before disintegrating into dust.

Jadeite grit his teeth as his plan was foiled once again.

"Jadeite!" Sailor Moon called out.

Regaining his composure, he smirked.

"What? You want to fight me now?" the mysterious man challenged.

"Moon Tiara Action!" Sailor Moon threw her tiara at him. He merely narrowed his eyes before sticking his hand out in the air, stopping the tiara from moving in it's tracks.

"No! You're kidding me!" the heroine exclaimed in exasperation.

Jadeite smirked, causing Sailor Moon to get provoked.

"Take this!" she yelled out as she tried to deliver a flying kick. Unfortunately for her, the blonde man formed a shield around him, causing the heroine to get knocked back and fall.

"SHA!"

Before Jadeite could approach her, he turned to see a flying energy disc heading towards him.

 **CRASH!**

His shield had shattered, knocking him back slightly. He looked up to see Tenebrae's arm sticking out. He was strong. No doubt about it. However, Jadeite felt another presence right behind him. There was a rose sticking on the floor. Knowing that he was outnumbered, he summoned a portal and smirked.

"I can assure you that we'll be seeing each other again," with those words, he had exit through the portal.

The armored warrior ran up to the downed Sailor Moon as he helped her up.

"T-Thanks," she said. "Ow, I think that was a bad landing."

He nodded as they noticed the rose on the floor.

"Tuxedo Mask is here," Sailor Moon muttered as they saw someone leaping off into the sky.

"Goodbye! We'll meet again!" Tuxedo Mask exclaimed as he departed from the scene.

"Oh, Tuxedo Mask!" the heroine gushed.

Tenebrae merely shook his head before he prepared to take off.

"W-Wait a second."

The armored warrior turned to see Sailor Moon approaching him.

"Can I at least know your name? I mean, I know it's not Scarfman," she said. That was his unofficial name.

He stared at her for quite some time. After that...

 _"Tenebrae."_

The odango heroine was startled to hear his voice. This was the first time he spoke. Before she could say anything, he leaped off the building and flew into the sky. There was something about him that felt strange. While Tuxedo Mask had charm and wit that leaves her infatuated, there was something about Tenebrae that felt like she connected with him. Now the burning question was: who should she write this letter to?

Luna's eyes widened slightly. Tenebrae? Where did she hear that name from? Curse her hazy memories!

* * *

The next day of school and everybody was back to normal. Usagi was busy writing a love letter.

"My dear [blank,

From the first day I've met you, I've..."

Of course, she left the recipient blank since she hadn't decided who she was going to send it to. Tuxedo Mask or Tenebrae? Yesterday, she had dreamed of literally flying over the moon with the masked gentleman! Last night, her dream was with Tenebrae! And it was about him rescuing her from the evil wizard, Jadeite! She couldn't decide!

Before she could continue writing, her notepad was snatched from the well-refreshed Naru.

"Are you still doing that? Midnight Zero is already over," Naru said, though she was rather curious as to who her best friend's love letter is about.

"It doesn't matter, I'm giving this to him myself! Give it back!" Usagi demanded.

"Really? Then I'll read it for you," her best friend teased.

Usagi gasped. "Please, don't!"

Suddenly, Ms. Haruna popped right in the classroom, feeling very energetic. "Good morning, class! Sorry to have worried you all, but I'm feeling much better now! Now let's all study really hard!"

However, Usagi was still chasing her best friend all over the place. "Give me back my love letter!"

The teacher's interest peaked. "Love letter? Wait a second, let me read it too!"

"No!" the odango girl cried out.

Tsubasa walked into the class and noticed the wild goose chase occurring. He sighed. Just another day in class.

* * *

 **A/N: Whew! That's that. I'm wondering what should I change in the timeline. If the outcomes were different, how should I play it off?**

 **EDIT: Thanks to a reviewer, I've decided to change his name to Tenebrae. While Shadow Justice was supposed to be as cheesy as a superhero would be, Tenebrae gives off a more exurbant yet enigmatic vibe.**


	4. Ep 4: Talented Dream, A Youth’s Senpai

Tsubasa had just gotten back from the market. With the parents always away, he had to do most of the things himself. Thank goodness he works part-time as a delivery boy. He would've been evicted by the time he goes broke. However, how long can he keep up? He has homework to do and he has to study. Plus with the monster attacks, he might lose the job soon. For now, he needed to keep holding up in order to balance it all together.

 **BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!**

The helmet was beeping again. Taking it out from his bag, he looked into it's red visor and began to see what was happening. He could see people unconscious, but there was vamp. She looked like a seductive woman, but there was something odd. Her nails were as sharp as claws and a colony of bats were gathered all over the place! Something's wrong.

Hiding in an alley for safety measure, he put on the helmet.

 **"KUROGANE, YATTE YARUZE!"**

In an instant, the pinkette had transformed into Tenebrae as the metal plates began to cover his body and a scarf sprouting out from under his helmet. He knew where to go.

* * *

Jam Records, a record label that is known to air contemporary music. From blues to classic piano, you name it and you're bound to hear some smooth music. It's unfortunate that everyone was currently unconscious at the moment.

Kyurene, the bat youma, had been tasked to play a cassette tape over the air waves in order to drain out energy from these pitiful humans. After so many mishaps thanks to that accursed musician, she was finally able to complete the mission. Before she could do that...

 **BAM!**

"Akiko-san!" shouted Yusuke Amade, popular jazz pianist as he was on a mission to get that tape back. It wasn't just a mixtape, it was a way to pour out his feelings for someone he dearly cared for. Monster or not, he needed to get it back.

Kyurene looked back to see that blasted pianist again! Before she could do anything, a black cat had knocked the tape out of her hand! The tape slid back and Usagi picked it up.

"Stop right there!" Usagi exclaimed.

"Tch, you!" Kyurene growled. In an instant, the bats began to cover her as her form began to change. Yusuke and Usagi began to grow horrified at the sight behold to them. As the bats began to disperse, Kyurene's true form was exposed. A bat youma.

"Give me the tape now," Kyurene demanded.

Yusuke looked to see the tape Usagi was holding...but something was wrong.

"That's not my tape," Yusuke said in confusion.

Two seconds of silence...

"Huh?!" Usagi exclaimed in shock.

"The tape! Now!" Kyurene yelled as her nails extended towards them. Both of them yelped in shock as they fell back out of the studio to get out of the way.

"Are you alright?" Luna asked Usagi, a worried tone etched in her voice.

"Do I look like I'm okay?" Usagi answered back, her leg feeling slightly pained from that fall.

Inside the studio, Akiko Yanagi, an assistant, slowly began to wake up. She wondered how she fell asleep all of the sudden. However, her eyes went wide when she saw red claws appear right in front of her face.

"AAAAH!"

Yusuke and Usagi looked up in shock to see that Kyurene was holding the woman hostage.

"If you want her to live, then give me the tape," the youma demanded as her claws were close to Akiko's neck.

"Akiko-san!" Yusuke exclaimed in worry.

"That's so mean!" Usagi remarked angrily.

"Hurry up!" Kyurene yelled impatiently.

The musician had a strained look on his face while Akiko called out for him. Usagi looked between them and the musician. However, she noticed around the corner was a familiar armored warrior.

 _'Tenebrae!'_ she thought happily as the cavalry was here!

"Alright!" Usagi relented. Luna wondered what she was up to, until she realized what the plan was!

The odango girl threw the cassette up high in the air! Kyurene gasped as she did not expect that. In an instant, Yusuke ran towards them.

"Akiko!" he roared as he was going to lunge.

Kyurene had let go of Akiko to get the tape, allowing the musician to rescue her. Unfortunately for the youma, Luna had leaped up high and caught it with her mouth. Dropping it, she smashed it!

In an instant, Tenebrae began his charge and speared his body right towards Kyurene! The velocity and the impact caused them to smash right out of the building window and the building itself.

"Tenebrae!" Usagi gasped in shock. What kind of a person would do something so boneheaded and risky like that?!

"Usagi-chan," Luna said. The odango knew what to do.

"Moon Prism Power! Make-Up!"

* * *

 **THWACK!**

 **SLASH!**

 **BAM!**

 **CRACK!**

 **CLANG!**

The airborne battle was intense and dangerous as Tenebrae fought Kyurene to the death. Fortunately for his flight capabilities, he was able to keep up with the flying youma.

"I'll gut you like a pig!" the bat youma snarled as she sliced Tenebrae. Fortunately for him, his armor was strong enough to withstand enough damage. However with big impacts, there was going to be problems. One of it is now.

Kyurene grabbed him by the face and threw him way down to the ground, all the way to Juuban Hall. The venue where big concerts were playing. "ERGH!" He grunted as he landed with a huge thud, feeling the full brunt of the impact.

 **BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!**

Tenebrae's eyes were beeping, signalling that he's taken quite a lot of damage. The bat youma landed on the ground, claws extracted to finish him off.

"My plan is ruined thanks to you and those stupid humans!" Kyurene snarled before her face contorted into an evil grin. "But maybe your head would serve as a nice offering for Master Jadeite."

Suddenly, the lights of the concert hall were turned on as Sailor Moon stood at the center stage.

"Pretty Sailor Soldier of love and justice..." Sailor Moon began as she did her pose. "Sailor Moon!"

She pointed towards the bat youma. "I won't allow you to use music for evil. Even the father of music Haydn is mad, you know!"

Luna stared at the heroine. How'd she messed up her facts?! "The father of music is Bach!"

The odango girl blushed in embarrassment. "If you hadn't said anything, they wouldn't have noticed!" she whispered to the cat.

She cleared her throat. "Anyway, in the name of the moon I will punish you!"

Kyurene chuckled as she unfolded her wings, releasing a sound wave.

"AH!" Sailor Moon yelped as she and Luna jumped out of the way.

Tenebrae got up and lunged at the bat youma again. He began to deliver the ground and pound punches before Kyurene clawed him violently. Both had gotten up as Kyurene delivered another sound wave attack. Fortunately, Tenebrae created his energy shield in front of him as it managed to block the attack.

"This is bad! She's creating some sort of high-frequency sound wave!" Luna exclaimed. "And judging by the beep coming from Tenebrae, it looks like he won't last long!"

Sailor Moon tried to quickly think of something, she couldn't let someone important to her die! Looking around, she noticed a microphone. "High-frequency..."

Grabbing the mic, she called out the youma. "Hey, ugly! I bet you preen your wings in the worst department store ever!"

Kyurene glared at the heroine. "Die!" she yelled as her wings unleashed another sound wave.

With this chance, she tossed the microphone at the sound wave. It broke, but the concert speakers had blasted towards Kyurene.

"HAH?!" the bat youma exclaimed in shock as she tried to defend against the blast.

"So how does it feel to get attacked by your own amplified sound waves?" Sailor Moon asked as Tenebrae began to summon an energy disc.

"SHA!"

The projectile was tossed towards the incapacitated youma. However with the damage he had taken, he had thrown it not at Kyurene's body...

...but her wings.

 **SCHLING!**

"AAARGH!" Kyurene roared in pain as she felt one of her wings sliced. Gritting her teeth in pain, she had no choice but to retreat.

Using her bat colony to surround her, they gathered around her as she teleported away.

Sailor Moon wanted to pursue her, but Tenebrae's body was tired out.

"Tenebrae, are you alright?!" she exclaimed in worry.

The armored warrior looked up to her and nodded. She offered a hand to him, to which he accepted. As he stood up, Sailor Moon felt his strong grip and slightly blushed. With a nod, he flew off into the sky as the rain began to pour down in all of Juuban while the beep that followed him echoed in the night.

Sailor Moon could only wonder if he had done this before. Right now, she needed to check on Yusuke and Akiko.

* * *

Kyurene growled in frustration as she hid in the shadows. Everything was ruined because of those two pests! That sickeningly pristine Sailor Moon and that meddling punk Tenebrae.

Oh, Tenebrae. Especially that impudent wretch. How dare he cut her wings! Fortunately they were still intact, but she couldn't fight properly because her wings were still damaged. The next time she sees him, she will have his head with her claws!

Right now, she needed to hide. If Jadeite finds her, he would kill her! As much as her human form disgusts her, she needs to blend in with those vermin to recover.

 _'Tenebrae, the next time we meet, you will pay!'_ she thought angrily.

* * *

The news of Yusuke Amade marrying Akiko Yanagi had broken many fangirls's hearts (especially Naru's), but Usagi had congratulated the lovely couple for a happy union.

As they were talking about them, Umino had popped out of nowhere with a poster.

"Ta-da! I finally got a poster of Mikan-chan!" he exclaimed in excitement.

"Umino, did you steal that from the pharmacy?" Usagi asked with skepticism.

"Nope! I got this through an internet store!" he answered in delight. "If you want, I have several leftovers for cheap price!"

"No thanks, I don't want one," Naru declined.

Umino took out his laptop and began typing down some stuff. "As you know, Mikan Shiratori used to go to the same school as us. She's now 17 years old and is already in eight commercials."

He continued to type. "Her monthly salary is...two million yen!"

"Wow! Two million yen?!" Usagi exclaimed in shock. "I wonder how many shortcakes I could buy with that kind of money?"

"Wasn't she scouted when she was walking in town?" Yumiko wondered.

"She was lucky!" Kuri remarked.

"Yeah. If I were lucky like her, I could do the same thing!" Naru said.

"Piece of cake!" Kuri exclaimed.

"I can't believe those scouts never spotted us," Yumiko grumbled. "They just don't know a good thing when they see it."

"To put it bluntly, the scouts do know when they see a good thing. That's why you girls are ignored." Umino said, adjusting his glasses.

"What did you say?!" Yumiko exclaimed as she, Kuri and Naru were flustered by that insult.

"At our school, the next star to following her footsteps is..." he pointed his finger at a specific direction...

...where Usagi was seated. She looked in confusion while the other girls were irked at his bias. "Usagi-san."

Realizing what he was saying, Usagi smiled as she stood up. "I'm a star!"

"Yay!" Umino said as he clapped.

The other girls could only shake their heads at the sudden acquired situational narcissism.

* * *

Mikan Shiratori stood outside TV Ashita, where she was signing autographs for many fans. The idol had been working hard as she had been doing various activities that improved her image. From modeling to acting to singing, an idol's work is never done. Despite all that, she still was a humble person who lived in a simple apartment. Her salary was really big, yet she had sent most of her money to her family and used the rest for basic necessities.

"Thank you so much, Mikan-san!" a fan said as she received her signed autograph.

"You're welcome," she replied with a smile. "Please watch my show."

As she looked around, she noticed a familiar person she hadn't seen in quite a while walking by.

"Tsubasa!" Mikan called out as she had escaped the crowd to run up to the ponytailed boy, who was mildly surprised that someone called for him.

Out in the corner was Jadeite, who was watching the autograph signing in disguise.

 _'I could use this energy,'_ he thought with a smirk as a new plan formed.

* * *

"So how was my adorable little kouhai been doing?" Mikan asked with a sweet smile as she and Tsubasa were sitting by the park.

"I-It's been quiet since you left," the ravenette answered, a slight tinge of pink on his face.

"I guess it has," she answered. "Have you made any friends lately?"

"Well, there's this girl called Usagi," Tsubasa said.

"Oh, tell me about her?" Mikan asked enthusiastically.

"Well, she's a bright and optimistic girl who seems to cheer me up whenever I get down in the dumps. So in return, I try to repay her by trying to make her happy."

As he continued to talk about Usagi, Mikan had the biggest smile on her face. This was the first time that her kouhai had opened up. She wondered if he liked this girl.

"So when are you gonna ask her out?" she asked with a teasing tone.

"What are you implying?" Tsubasa asked with a confused look on his face.

"I mean, do you like her?" Mikan asked, a smirk on her face.

"Well, yeah," the idol brightened at that answer, though her expression would slightly dull as he continued. "She's a really good friend of mine."

She sighed sadly. Mikan wished that his life would get better since that incident. She tried to get in contact with him, but she had too much on her schedule. While he was good at talking, he was quite bad at reading the signs.

Tsubasa looked at his watch. "I better go now. See you later, Mikan-senpai."

"Wait, Tsubasa-kun." Mikan called out.

"Hm?" he turned back with an inquiring looked.

"Do you think we can meet up sometime? It's been a while since I heard your grass flute," she asked.

He smiled. "Of course."

* * *

Mikan was enjoying a nice hot shower after returning to her apartment. It was really nice to meet Tsubasa once again. Hopefully she could check her schedule to see if she was free. Then maybe she could call him and let him know. Sure, he had a part-time job as a delivery boy, but that's only in the morning.

"I wonder if he would introduce me to this Usagi girl?" she wondered before giggling. "Must be a really cute girl."

Oh, how she would enjoy trying to get those two together. It'll be nice to see her adorable little kouhai have some companionship.

Unbeknownst to her, a sinister figure was planning to sneak up on her.

* * *

"Hey, did you hear about the Cinderella Caravan?" Yumiko asked her friends as they were conversing out in the hallway during lunch.

"What's that?" Usagi inquired.

Naru merely chuckled. "Usagi, you're so behind!"

"Hey, I've got a lot of things going on!" Usagi defended. Both best friends had originally tried to do a musical performance act. Unfortunately with many mistakes, the duo had broken up and became rivals to see who would become an idol first.

"What's this about the Cinderella Caravan?" Tsubasa asked as he walked towards them.

"They're looking for the next Mikan Shiratori through the caravan!" Kuri answered.

"Since even Mikan is assisting in the search, this is a pretty sure way to stardom!" Yumiko explained.

"Huh, Mikan-senpai never told me she was holding auditions," he muttered quietly.

"Senpai?" Usagi questioned, having heard him.

"Well, we had lunch together when we she was a senior here," Tsubasa answered.

"No way!" Kuri exclaimed in disbelief.

"You're totally lying!" Yumiko accused.

Tsubasa shrugged. "Don't take my word for it."

Only Usagi and Naru seemed to believe it. Usagi because she knew that he wouldn't lie and Naru because he was quite a mediocre liar.

"Still, I'm definitely gonna win that contest!" Usagi exclaimed in determination.

Naru glared at her rival. "What are you talking about? I'm the one that's gonna win!" She noticed Umino walked pass them. "Right, Umino?"

The bespectacled boy stopped for a brief pause. "You're are so right, Naru!" he exclaimed in a flamboyant tone, complete with a candid pose. Everyone looked at him with mortification while Naru was blushing from embarrassment. She was wondering if she regretted choosing him as her partner.

"Geez, you don't have to do that now!" Naru said, feeling flustered.

Umino turned around and began to strut. "Practice makes perfect!"

"I'm not even gonna ask," Tsubasa said, wondering what just happened.

"That makes two of us," Usagi replied, hoping that he's not going to be in the contest.

* * *

Tsubasa was on the way to class. He tried to call Mikan, but she didn't pick up. Must've been really busy with this Cinderella Caravan search. Still, if she was doing something, she would mention what it was. Sounds rather suspicious.

Suddenly, he noticed Usagi running from the opposite direction.

"Hey, Usagi!" he greeted. "You made it on time!"

"And only five minutes to spare," Usagi said between breaths.

When they reached the classroom, they saw that the tables were cleared out to the back while everyone was watching Yumiko and Kuri do a stand-up comedy routine.

"Is that about how things work?" Kuri asked.

"Yeah, it is. Then, how about this one?" Yumiko said. "What do you get if you take away a hagetaka's ge (vulture's feathers)?"

"You get hadaka (naked), of course," Kuri answered.

Tsubasa pinched the bridge of his nose. That was an incredibly lame pun. Usagi walked over to Naru, who seemed to be writing something.

"Good morning, Naru!" the odango girl greeted.

"Here!" Naru said, ignoring Usagi as she continued to write. Both of them looked over her shoulder to see signatures of her name.

"Hey, does anyone have a roll of tape?" Umino called out before looking at Usagi. "Hey, Usagi-san!"

The bespectacled boy walked up to her and placed a roll of tape on his palm. "Please throw this, okay?"

Usagi and Tsubasa looked confused, until Naru got up.

"Everyone, I'm going to be holding an autograph session now!" she announced.

"Class is in five minutes!" Usagi exclaimed.

"Usagi, you're strangely excited for class." Tsubasa whispered to her.

"Anything is better than how weird this is!" Usagi hissed back.

The boy couldn't agree more.

"Hey, getting into the entertainment business isn't easy, you know!" Yumiko exclaimed.

"We don't have time for class!" Kuri added.

"Okay! Throw the tapes!" Umino declared.

The other students threw the tapes at Umino, who was posing like he was the next big thing. Both Tsubasa and Usagi shared a look before she threw the tape. Unfortunately, it didn't unfurl as it hit the bespectacled boy's face.

Once he recovered, he wagged his finger with a 'tsk'. "You shouldn't damage a star's face, you know?"

Both of them walked out of the class and shut the door behind them.

"Okay, something weird has happened to them," Usagi said.

"It must've been that Cinderella Caravan thing," Tsubasa replied. "I haven't even heard of it."

"Oh, well. I bet this would die out once class is over," the odango girl said optimistically.

* * *

She was wrong.

Both of them were watching Naru and Umino do a performance from afar outside the school's courtyard. They were performing a rather...mediocre rendition of Moonlight Densetsu, which was Sailor Moon's theme song ever since news of her heroic exploits were spread out. They didn't include Tenebrae in those articles since he was always in the shadows, but that's the way Tsubasa preferred it.

"I've gotta get out of here before my ears bleed," Tsubasa said as he left the school. He needed to find this Cinderella Caravan place to see how it works.

* * *

The Shan Shan Plaza. A mall that was rather okay since there were a number of stores. However, it was known to have an auditorium there.

Tsubasa sat in the darkest corner of the audience sitting as he waiting for what's to come. Unknown to him, Usagi and Luna were in another far corner. It was rather normal, other than the disco ball. However, he felt a dark presence behind the curtain. Speaking of the disco ball, he felt unease from it. When it began spinning, there was a crowd of shadows that were seated.

As the curtains went up, Tsubasa felt something strange coming from the performers. He took a closer look and noticed that the stamps on their hands were glowing! He looked around to see Mikan sitting within the crowd. Unlike yesterday, she was filled with a lot of dark energy. Something was wrong. Taking out the helmet from his bag, he faced the visor right in front of his eyes as it began glowing.

He could see images of Mikan being wrapped up in blue webbing. The figure was as shiny as glass. She could hear Mikan's cries for help.

"Help! Someone! Tsubasa!"

The youma had a finger on the idol, encasing her in ice.

The boy blinked as he was back to reality. This must be an impostor! He looked back up to see the fake Mikan slowly standing up. Suddenly, she slowly twisted her head in an 180 degree angle! She just looked like the youma in the vision!

"You saw me, didn't you?" she said with a grin directed at...Usagi?

The odango girl screamed in horror as she escaped.

Tsubasa looked terrified, but mustered the courage to put on his helmet.

 **"KUROGANE, YATTE YARUZE!"**

Metal plates covered his body as Tsubasa transformed into the armored Tenebrae, the scarf hero of the shadows. Using a bit of energy, he cast a tiny but sharp burst of energy from his hand at the disco ball.

 **BOOM!**

With the disco ball destroyed, the illusion of the audience had disappeared. Unfortunately, the performers had lost too much energy as they fell unconscious.

"W-what's going on?!" the fake Mikan asked in shock as she turned around to see who did that.

Tenebrae walked around as the impostor glared at him. "Who are you?!"

The armored warrior said nothing as he charged at her. The youma ripped away from her disguise and revealed herself to be the glass youma, Derella. She shot out an ice breath at him, causing Tenebrae to quickly roll out of the way.

"I'll do what that failure Kyurene couldn't do, add you to the Dark Kingdom's collection!" Derella cackled as she let out another ice breath. "Soon, you'll be just another trophy!"

Tenebrae had to dodge out of the way as he landed on stage. He needed enough time to gather enough of his energy to deliver his finisher.

"Tenebrae!"

The scarfman turned to see Sailor Moon making her appearance.

"That is definitely the fake Mikan! I'll go after her!"

With that, she jumped to deliver a flying kick. Tenebrae tried to stop her, but it was too late. Derella had cast another ice breath at Sailor Moon, causing the odango heroine to fall.

"Eh?! What's happening?!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, panic in her voice. "I-I can't move!"

Fortunately, Derella was hit by another sharp burst of energy courtesy of Tenebrae. The armored warrior jumped to Usagi's side to get her out.

"T-Thanks-watch out!" the frozen heroine yelled out as Tenebrae turned around to see Derella cast another ice breath. Fortunately on instinct, Tenebrae summoned his circular energy shield to defend himself. Unfortunately for him, it looked like she wasn't stopping anytime soon.

 **SMASH!**

The ice that froze Sailor Moon's hand was broken by a flying rose as the heroine broke free. She looked up at the upper seating to see Tuxedo Mask standing by with a smile.

"You're the star of the show now, Sailor Moon. Now go help out your fellow castmate!" Tuxedo Mask said.

"Tuxedo Mask!" Sailor Moon gushed.

"Good luck!" with that, the charming fellow left in a flash.

"Sailor Moon, help Tenebrae!" Luna exclaimed, snapping her out of romantic fantasies.

Taking off the tiara, she began to lock on her aim. "Moon Tiara Action!" With that, she tossed it at Derella, who was too busy with Tenebrae's defense.

 **CRASH!**

Derella was knocked back by the Moon Tiara, chipping some parts of her glass body. Once the attack stopped, Tenebrae looked at the ice disc that was materialized from the youma's ice breath. An idea formed.

"HEA!"

He tossed the ice disc at her.

 **SMASH!**

"AAARGH!" Derella roared out in pain as she shattered like glass into a million pieces. The miniature microphone she held for collecting energy was broken as the energy was returned to the victims.

Tenebrae looked at Sailor Moon and nodded before leaving the auditorium. Sailor Moon got the idea as well and followed once she realized that the victims were starting to wake up.

* * *

Tsubasa returned home, looking rather exhausted. He wondered if he should give Mikan a call to see if she was alright. Before he could do that...

 **RING RING!**

That was his house phone. Walking to it, he picked it up.

"Hello?" he said.

"Tsubasa-kun!" the caller exclaimed.

"Mikan-senpai?" Tsubasa asked.

"I have to talk to you about something!" she said in an excited tone.

He sighed in relief. At least she was okay. I mean, wouldn't you be concerned with your first crush?

"What happened?" he asked.

"So I had this strange dream where this blue demon..."

* * *

 **A/N: Phew! Boy did I get this done! As you noticed, I left Kyurene alive in this. Why? Considering that her design looked too cool to waste, I wanted to create a rogues gallery for him. There are so many youma to choose from since some of their designs can go from bizarre to freaky cool to crazy awesome. Up next, we get to see our favorite bookworm!**


	5. Ep 5: The Genius Student, Enter Mercury

The National mock exam ranking results were out as every student was checking their names on the big board. Tsubasa looked up his name and saw that he was placed 100th out of several hundred students. He wasn't a bad student per say, but he was definitely not academically gifted of all sorts. In fact, he was pretty average when it came to all areas. From academics to athletics, he was pretty much stuck in the middle.

Between his part-time job and his alter ego, there was little time for self-improvement.

As he looked over the board, they could hear the other students speaking about another student called Ami Mizuno from Class 5. She was on top of the exam rankings and scored a perfect 100%. He wondered who she was since he never saw her before. There have been rumors that she had an IQ of 300 and she attended a new cram school that was recently open.

As he broke away from the crowd and began to stroll through the hallway, a few students were whispering something about the girl genius. With her mother as a doctor, Dr. Saeko Mizuno, they were definitely rich. However, some comments were about her being a rich snob with a bad attitude who thought that she was better than everyone else were thrown in her way. The pinkette scoffed at those comments.

As he looked around, he saw that they were looking at a petite bluenette looking out of the school window. She seemed cold and distant, as her blue eyes stared at the clear skies. He wondered if he should approach her or not since he felt noticed her expression. There were traces of sadness in her eyes. He could see it. Before he could do anything, Ami had slowly turned to look at him. He blinked in surprised as she stared at him.

It was as if she was wondering what he was doing.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly began to approach her. After a few steps, Tsubasa was now standing right in front of her face to face.

"Can I help you?" Ami asked. Her tone was very soft and polite. There was no haughtiness laced within, no malice or standoffish nature within her voice. It was soothing and gentle as it could be.

"Are you Ami Mizuno?" he inquired, rather nervously.

"Yes. And you are?" she replied, looking curious.

"Tsubasa Ishikawa," he answered.

"You're the one that's placed at 100th," she mused.

"Well to be fair, I scored 56%," he said. Tsubasa did not expect Ami to giggle at the remark.

"So what brings you here?" she asked.

"I wanted to congratulate you on getting top marks on the national mock exams," he answered as he scratched his uncertain head. "So, uh...congratulations."

He was mildly surprised when she blushed upon the praise. He was glad to dispel those nasty rumors.

"T-Thank you," she stuttered. Eh, she was probably not used to gaining compliments like that. The bell rang as it was time to go back to class.

"I better go back to class," Tsubasa said. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Ishikawa-san?"

"Hm?" He looked back at her to see her smile.

"I hope you study hard," she said. Tsubasa nodded and gave a thumbs up as he walked off to his next class.

Ami had smiled from their small conversation. This was the first time that someone had approached her when she entered this school. The only thing people would do around her was gossip about her. She wondered what would happen if she came from a middle-class family. Would people react to her differently? Sometimes she had wished that.

All those worries were put to rest as she met Tsubasa. The boy was rather friendly and was the first person her age to actually approach her. She was actually wondering if he was judging her based on the rumors when he was looking at her. To her surprise, he was walking up to her! She had braced herself for the insults about to hurl towards her. Instead of harsh words, she was greeted with kinder ones and a congratulations at the end.

She hoped to see him again. And maybe, just maybe, she could get a friend out of him.

* * *

Today was a rather positive day for Ami. First she met Tsubasa and now Usagi had introduced her to video games for the first time. It started when a black cat had jumped on her shoulder. It was an adorable cat, to say the least. The fact that she had a crescent moon on her bald spot increased the cuteness factor by a level.

It turns out that Usagi owned the cat, who was called Luna. As they walked through the neighborhood, she got to know the odango girl as they talked. Sure, she was rather quirky, but she was really nice and cheerful.

Right now, she was watching her play the Sailor V game. Usagi looked frustrated as she tried to get out of the enemy's line of fire. However, her character was hit and she lost.

Instead of getting angry, Usagi laughed it off. "Obviously, something's wrong with me today."

She looked at Ami. "Mizuno-san, do you wanna try? It's fun!"

"But it looks difficult," Ami said.

Usagi nodded. "You're very observant. The game is pretty hard, so you'd be doing good if you scored 500 points on your first try."

Luna was observing from behind the arcade machines as she watched Ami play. She could feel some sort of strange energy emitting from her. She wasn't sure what it was, but she might be a youma. Still, she couldn't confirm anything yet.

"You're pretty good!" Usagi remarked as she watched the genius play.

"Really?" Ami asked while she continued to play through.

Once she passed 500, Usagi clapped and smiled. "Amazing!"

However, the score began to increase as Ami looked really focused. Usagi looked rather stunned that she was still going. Once the 10, 000 mark had been reached, Ami's determination looked fierce as she soldiered on.

 _'No way,'_ Usagi thought. How is she able to get 20, 000 points on her first try?!

She had even defeated the boss! A crowd was forming around her as she went through the game. Usagi was shocked at the growing crowd.

"Hey, Usagi-chan!" Motoki greeted. "I didn't know you were here!"

"Y-yeah!" Usagi replied back.

Motoki looked at the game. "Wow, she's amazing!"

"I know!" Usagi replied as she sighed. "There goes my help on those exams..."

Once the game was over, Ami sighed and sat back in relief.

"Geez, I wonder how Tsubasa would react when he fins that someone took over his ranking in the high score," Usagi remarked.

"Tsubasa? As in Tsubasa Ishikawa?" Ami looked at her.

"Yeah! We're in the same class!" Usagi replied. "How'd you know him?"

"Oh, we talked during break time," Ami said. "He wanted to congratulate me on the mock exams."

Usagi smiled. Always count on Tsubasa to be more forward. The bluenette looked at her watch and gave a small gasp. "Oh, look at the time!"

She took her school bag and got out of the crowd. "I'm sorry, Tsukino-san! I have to go to cram school!"

"No, I'm the one who should apologize!" Usagi said as she helped pick up some stuff Ami dropped. "I didn't know you had cram school today."

"Oh, I go everyday," Ami replied.

"Everyday?" Usagi repeated in disbelief.

"I don't really have many talents other than studying," Ami said, a slightly somber tone in her voice. Usagi didn't seem to notice. "Anyway, thanks for introducing me to the arcade. I had a lot of fun. I'll see you again!"

With that, she gave a wave and ran to her cram school, Crystal Seminar.

"Bye!" Usagi yells out. "I feel like we live in completely different worlds."

"Usagi-chan," Motoki calls out as he walks out of the building.

"Yes?!" Usagi replies enthusiastically to her crush.

"By any chance..." Motoki began.

"Yeah?"

"...does this belong to your friend?" he finished, holding up a floppy disk.

Her lovestruck expression had changed into a dull one as she sighed. If only her fantasies of a date with him could come true.

"Is that all?" Usagi asked, disappointment in her tone.

"Eh?" Motoki looked in confusion.

The odango girl blushed as she gave out a forced laugh. "Oh, nothing! I'll make sure she gets it!"

As she took the floppy disk before Motoki went back to work, there was something about it that was strange.

* * *

Tsubasa was back home, where he was actually studying for once. It's been too long since he had done so due to the stuff that went on. It felt...normal. For once, he could actually try to think of the future and what he wanted to do for that.

Just as he turned the page...

 **BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!**

The ravenette blinked as he took out his helmet and wondered what was happening at this time? Facing the helmet, he began to look into the visor.

A tall and intimidating red figure stood as she was facing Sailor Moon while she was holding someone hostage. He took a closer look and let out a small gasp.

Ami was in trouble!

Putting on the helmet, he stood up.

 **"KUROGANE! YATTE YARUZE!"**

In an instant, metal plates formed around his body and a scarf sprouted from under his helmet. Tenebrae needed to get there fast.

* * *

Ami was absolutely scared! One thing, a woman had transformed into Sailor Moon, the heroine that had been around recently. The next thing, she's being held hostage by her cram school teacher, who turned out to be some sort of demon from the underworld! Her classmates looked like their lives were sucked out of them! How did her boring life get so insane at this moment?!

"Stop this, evil villain!" Sailor Moon exclaimed. "Geniuses are valuable because they help make the world more peaceful. I won't let them fall into the hands of evil!"

She began to do her signature pose. "For love and justice, Pretty Sailor Soldier: Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

Before the battle could begin, Garoben smirked. "Question number one!"

Sailor Moon looked stumped.

"Genius Newton question: Why do apples fall from trees?"

"How should I know?! Ask the apples, not me!" the heroine exclaimed.

"You idiot! If you don't know the answer, then take this!" the youma yelled as she summoned sharp sheets of paper and cast it towards the target.

Sailor Moon yelped as she crouched down to dodge the oncoming projectiles that stuck onto the door. It didn't help that Garoben was having a rather good time in aiming at her.

"I know! Because a typhoon came!" Sailor Moon yelled, hoping that she would stop with the deadly papercuts. She yelped as more papers flew to her way while she dodged. "Luna!"

"I can't believe you! It's because the Earth has gravity!" Luna exclaimed, as she was taking cover from outside the classroom.

"Because the Earth has gravity!" the heroine hastily yelled. In an instant, the papers disappeared.

"Tch," Garoben sneered, before another evil smile grew. "Then question number two! What is gravity? Explain in less than 50 words!"

"That's impossible!" Sailor Moon yelled out in dismay.

"If you don't answer, then this is what happens."

Once the heroine looked up, she gasped as the zombified students surrounded her. "What?! No way!"

"Heh, now's my chance!" the red youma grabbed Ami's head and forced her right in front of a computer screen. "Give up your genius brain energy!"

"No!" Ami exclaimed as she tried to resist. However, it seemed that it did not work.

"Hm? It's not working," Garoben mused before pushing the bluenette's head right into the screen. "Why is that?"

Suddenly, the youma realized something. "You didn't use the Crystal Disk, did you?"

Ami grit her teeth as she tried to get out of her captor's clutches. "You should study on your own without using machines!"

"You impudent little..." Garoben growled. Before she could do anything, she noticed a glowing symbol on Ami's forehead. "W-What is this?"

Luna recognized that mark. "That mark is..." Squinting, she finally recognized it. "I see! That strange energy was from a sailor senshi!"

Flipping back, she summoned a blue transformation pen.

"Heh, then I'll just take your brain instead!" Garoben declared as she threw Ami down to the ground. "Prepare yourself!"

If the bluenette would keep her wits, she would've did something like run away from her. Unfortunately, with a frightening life or death crisis, she was stuck in a frenzy to do anything. Garoben transformed her arm into an axe.

"SHEEYAH!"

The youma was knocked back by a flying kick, courtesy of Tenebrae.

Ami looked up in awe of her savior. A warrior in black armor and a white scarf.

"You are..." Ami muttered.

Garoben recovered and sneered. "Another uneducated buffoon? You'll need to answer my questions,"

Her reply was a hand chop to the chest as Tenebrae was not playing around.

The youma growled before she roared by delivering a vertical axe chop of her own. The armored warrior clapped his hands on the blade as he tried to hold her off.

Ami didn't know what to do. She wanted to help then, but she was powerless.

"Ami-chan!"

The girl turned around to see Luna running towards her while tossing a pen at her. "Use this!"

Did the cat just talk? Never mind that, there were more important matters! In an instant, she quickly grabbed the pen and stood up.

"Say, "Mercury Power! Make-Up!" Luna instructed.

Ami looked back and saw that the blade was inches away from Tenebrae's face. She narrowed her eyes in determination as Ami was prepared to fight.

"Mercury Power! Make-Up!"

Ami swept the pen over her head and around her body while a stream of blue water emitted from it, forming her leotard, gloves, and boots. A sparkling ripple expanded over her body, a small burst of mist formed the rest of her sailor fuku, and she stood in her final pose.

"So she is the second sailor senshi, Sailor Mercury!" Luna exclaimed, as the discovery was right in front of her.

"Ami-chan..." Sailor Moon gasped as she tried to fend of the zombie horde.

Tenebrae turned around slightly, only to look right back in front of the blade. He could feel his feet dig into the ground.

"Say "Sabão Spray"!" Luna exclaimed.

"Sabão..." Sailor Mercury gathered an amount of energy in the form of a ball before spreading her arms out. "Spray!"

The ball had dispersed into bubbles as the whole room was shrouded in mist.

As soon as everything was shrouded, Garoben's axe landed right into the ground. However, it seemed that she didn't get her target!

"W-what?!" she exclaimed in disbelief. "Where did you go?"

Slowly, she began to shiver while the zombie horde collapsed.

"Shoot," she muttered. She turned to see Sailor Mercury's face. "Gotcha!"

Her axe charged at her. Unfortunately for her, she smashed into the illusion.

"You fell for it," Mercury's voice echoed in the room.

"Curses!" Garoben growled as her axe was stuck into the computer. When she turned around...

"CHA!" Tenebrae had punched right into her face. He began to deliver several punches and hand chops right at the youma.

"Now, Sailor Moon!" Mercury exclaimed as the fog began to die down.

"Right!" Sailor Moon exclaimed as she took off her tiara.

The armored warrior hoisted Garoben on his shoulders in a fireman's carry.

 _"Spinning Hurricane!"_

Mercury's eyes widened slightly. That voice sounded familiar.

With a twist, Tenebrae threw the youma up in the air.

"Moon Tiara Action!" The odango heroine tossed her tiara right at the youma, who had disintegrated from the impact.

With the action over, the unconscious students were starting to wake up.

"Everyone, it's okay now!" Sailor Moon declared.

Sailor Mercury looked at herself. "I..."

"Yes, you're the second pretty sailor soldier, Sailor Mercury," Luna said as she walked up to her.

Sailor Moon ran up to her. "It's great to meet someone like me!"

Mercury looked at her and began to smile. She didn't know why, but she didn't feel alone anymore. She blinked and looked around the classroom. "Where did that armored man go?"

"Oh, you mean Tenebrae? He has a habit of leaving early," Sailor Moon answered as she sighed. "It would be nice if he stopped doing that."

Mercury pondered. His voice sounded so familiar. It sounded like...

 _'Tsubasa,'_ she thought. Who was that underneath the helmet?

* * *

"Sorry for mistaking you for a monster," Luna apologized as they were on the building's rooftop.

"No, that's alright," Ami replied politely.

"But it feels reassuring that you're an ally. Right, Luna?" Usagi remarked.

"Definitely," Luna agreed.

"Thank you," Ami said, a smile on her face.

Usagi hid a mischievous look. "Especially when I need to get ready for tests."

"Usagi-chan?" the bluenette called out.

"Yes?" the odango girl inquired.

"Once again, I'm glad to meet you," Ami said. "Let's work together so that we can beat the bad guys!"

Usagi had a sweatdrop on her head as she sheepishly shook Ami's hand with a forced laugh. "Me too! I'm glad I met you!" She might be sweet and gentle, but she can get tough. Usagi might not be able to keep up.

Meanwhile, Ami thought back the events of what happened today. Sure, there was the fact that she almost died. But she was Sailor Mercury! A superheroine like Sailor V! Plus, she became friends with a fellow senshi, Usagi.

Maybe she made two friends. There was Tsubasa. He seemed really nice. Maybe she could talk to him tomorrow in school.

* * *

 **A/N: And Sailor Mercury comes into the fray! Should the filler episode be next or should I go to the Sailor Mars episode next? Either way, I'm excited that we're getting closer!**


	6. Ep 6: The Fiery Miko, Enter Mars

Jadeite had thought of another plan B recently. Infiltrate the shrine and create a series of accidents involving a bus and a tunnel. However, it would prove to be a challenge since there were two sailor senshi he was facing. Not only that, he would have to put into account of that Tuxedo Mask and Tenebrae.

Tenebrae...a rather familiar face. He was strong, no doubt. He couldn't blame Kyurene for retreating, no doubt. There was something about his power that can withstand against his foes.

For now, he needed to continue gathering energy in order to revive Queen Metallia. Ramua was currently tasked with the mission, one which involved time.

 **BZZT!**

Something was wrong. Another interference? He frowned. It's those blasted senshi and that accursed shadow!

* * *

"Oh, no! Why can't I move?!"

Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury were trying to stop a time youma from stealing people's energy through time. Going through the time maze, they tried to make their way through without falling through any traps. Unfortunately, Moon had collapsed and was stuck while Mercury was stuck like a statue.

Ramua chuckled. "I've already taken most of your energy thanks to my clock,"

"What?!" Moon gasped.

"Her energy?" Mercury repeated, worry in her tone. She tried to move, but she was stuck as well!

"Now, die!" Ramua exclaimed as she was about to strike Sailor Moon down with her naginata.

"TIE-AH!"

 **CLANG!**

"Ugh!" the time youma grunted as her weapon was deflected away from a sharp energy burst. She turned to see Tenebrae standing and looking prepared to fight. "How did you get here?! You're supposed to be affected as well!"

The armored man merely charged towards her. Growling, Ramua swung her weapon at him. Tenebrae rolled down and hit her with a low kick to the abdomen, knocking her back.

"I'll just have to freeze you, so that I can end you quick!" she exclaimed as she cast her free hand at him and delivered a freeze blast. Tenebrae cast his energy shield and blocked the attack.

"Enough of this!" In her fury, Ramua began to charge her naginata at him and delivered several quick thrusts at him. Tenebrae had tried to dodge every single one of these attacks, but there were a few cuts through his armor.

"Tenebrae!" Mercury gasped, worry etched on her face.

Before Ramua could finish him off, she gasped as she felt the energy that she collected escape her. This means that someone destroyed the clock, the source of her power!

Sailor Moon gasped in relief as she felt her power return to her. Sailor Mercury smiled as she moved her arms.

The time youma gasped in pain as she dropped her naginata. " Oh, no! My energy!"

Tenebrae rolled out of the way and quickly snatched the weapon.

"Sabão Spray!" Mercury exclaimed as all the surroundings had turned into fog.

"Darn it! Where did you go?!" Ramua yelled in frustration as her weapon was taken.

The armored warrior snapped the weapon's handle off and kept the blade.

"Hang in there, Sailor Moon," Mercury assured as she helped her teammate up.

Sailor Moon smiled. "Thanks! I'm okay now,"

Mercury checked the sight and spotted Ramua. "There she is!"

Sailor Moon took off her tiara. "Moon Tiara Action!"

Ramua screamed in horror as she was hit by the tiara. Her screams had died down as she was disintegrated. Everything had turned back to normal as they stood in a vacant lot.

Luna gasped in relief as she ran to the heroes. Tenebrae held onto the blade as he flew off into the sky. Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury looked on as they watched their ally depart.

* * *

"No!" Jadeite yelled in anger as he felt the energy disappear from him. Another plan failed! His plan was so close to fruition, yet still so far!

"Master Jadeite, Queen Beryl is calling for you," a youma said as it waited for him.

Taking a deep breath, he collected himself as he presented himself to his leader. This was the sorceress that was leading the Dark Kingdom. A plan to revive Queen Metallia, they would rule the world. The blonde general stood right in front of her majesty. There, she sat on her throne as she read through the crystal ball. She was devilishly seductive, yet she held an aura of authority.

"I see that Ramua has been defeated," Queen Beryl began. "In turn, so have you."

Jadeite took a deep breath. "I apologize, my queen."

She sighed and continued to look through her crystal ball. "If those troublemakers that appeared on Earth get a hold of the Silver Crystal which we are looking for, we would have a serious problem."

She closed her eyes as she held onto the ball. "You must know that our empire is the only one that should have the crystal. We must show no mercy to anyone who tries to hinder the Dark Kingdom!"

She opened her eyes to look at Jadeite. "Can't you find the crystal yet?"

"Once again, I apologize," Jadeite said.

"You've already failed several missions, but I will give you a chance to redeem yourself. For you, continue collecting energy from the humans and kill those senshi." Beryl ordered.

"Yes, my queen." Jadeite bowed.

Once the general had left, the audience of youma had dispersed. Alone, she looked through her crystal ball as she was looking at one particular individual.

An armored warrior. She looked intently into the ball. A definite obstacle, it was perhaps the same Tenebrae that she remembered years ago.

* * *

"You really don't have to walk with me to the bus stop," Ami said as she and Tsubasa were waiting for the bus.

"Why not? You make good company," the ravenette said.

The girl blushed as she looked away. "T-that's not true. I'm just a bookworm who enjoys studying."

Tsubasa gave a soft laugh. "Even so, you're a very interesting girl."

If Ami was in a impersonation contest, she would definitely get points for tomato as her face was beet red. She had to cover her face with her open book.

Suddenly, police cars drove through the streets as the alarms blared through.

"What's going on?" Tsubasa wondered.

"It appears something happened," Ami muttered.

"Ami-chan! Tsubasa-kun!"

Said people turned to see their friend, Usagi waving at them. "Hey, Usagi!" Tsubasa greeted.

The cat ran up to Ami as the bluenette hugged the feline. "Oh, Luna!"

"So where are you two going?" Usagi asked.

"Cram school," Ami answered.

"Keeping her company," Tsubasa added.

"What? You have to take the bus to cram school?" Usagi asked in bewilderment.

"If it's for a good cram school, I'd even take a plane," Ami said. "I have to study hard and gain more knowledge so that I can help you!"

"She probably wants to tutor you in your studies," Tsubasa remarked. Usagi laughed rather sheepishly. They didn't really have to remind her!

"Hey guys!" Kuri called out as she and Naru were walking. "Haven't you heard of the story behind this bus?"

"Hm?" Tsubasa inquired.

"I heard that a couple of passengers disappeared from this bus just after 6 PM," Kuri explained.

"Wow, that sounds like fun!" Usagi exclaimed.

"There's nothing fun about it!" Naru chastised her friend. "You know there's a bus stop up ahead called Sendaizaka Ue, right?"

"The five slopes?" Tsubasa asked.

Naru nodded. "I heard that a bus with about fifty passengers had suddenly disappeared!"

Now Usagi looked frightened at the prospect of disappearing out of nowhere.

"The police suspected it could be a mass kidnapping and kept it a secret for a while," Kuri added. "But they had just announced what happened and started to investigate the incident."

"A cursed 6 o'clock bus..." Ami muttered.

"Scary!" Usagi exclaimed. "Hey, do you know the Hikawa Shrine near Sendaizaka? I hear that they're famous for their amulets that ward off evils."

An idea popped in her head. "Maybe we should buy one!"

Naru had thought of something. "I heard that the daughter who lives there has psychic powers and her fortune telling is very accurate!"

"I heard that the amulets really work too!" Kuri added her two cents.

"Maybe we should buy one!" Usagi suggested.

"Usagi, can you get me one too?" Ami asked.

"You're not coming with us?" The odango girl asked.

The genius shook her head. "I have cram school. Plus, there's a mock test coming up. I can't afford to get a cold while I'm studying."

"D'oh!" Usagi exclaimed as she almost collapsed at the amount of reasons her brainy friend couldn't go. "Tsubasa, you're coming at least, are you?"

The boy merely nodded.

* * *

Hikawa Shrine looked rather omnious, but there were people that come here for good fortune. In fact, head priest Hino was a very friendly and enthusiastic old man who enjoyed chanting good fortunes for visitors. Noticing four people walking up to the shrine, he smiled as he went to greet them.

"Ooh! Three pretty girls and a rather good-looking boy!" Priest Hino greeted.

"Hm?" the four teenagers blinked in confusion.

"Wanna work part-time in the shrine?" he asked energetically.

"Huh?" Now they were more baffled.

"Oji-san!" a young woman exclaimed in disapproval. "You always do this to visitors!"

Tsubasa took a closer look at the woman. Long raven hair with a slight tinge of purple and dressed in shrine robes, she could be the poster image of the yamato nadeshiko.

"Oh, Rei!" head priest Hino exclaimed.

"There have been bad rumors about you in the neighborhood," she lectured her grandfather.

The old man chuckled sheepishly.

"Wow, she looks so cool and pretty!" Usagi said as she and the girls looked at her in awe. "So this is a shrine maiden. I wouldn't mind doing part-time!"

"What?!" the girls and Tsubasa stared at her in bafflement. Even Luna looked stumped at that remark.

Suddenly, the boy felt something. A malevolent aura around the shrine. However, he wasn't the only one.

"I sense an unusual aura. An evil spirit?!" Rei whispered, growing increasingly alarmed as well.

Everyone looked at her as she was taking something out from under her robe. "You can try to bring misfortune to our shrine, but I won't allow you!"

She took out a paper charm and began to throw it. "Begone, evil spirit!"

 **SLAP!**

The paper charm landed on...Usagi?! Kuri and Naru gasped in shock as their friend fell down. Tsubasa sighed. It seems that trouble follows Usagi wherever she goes. Rei, herself, was genuinely shocked.

"This wasn't supposed to happen..." the miko sighed.

"We better bring her inside," Tsubasa said.

* * *

Everyone was gathered inside a room where Usagi was lying unconscious. Rei was thinking about what happened. She was sure that the dark aura was in the shrine. Why did she aim at an innocent girl? Tsubasa was subtly looking at the miko.

 _'So she could feel it too?'_ he thought.

"Rei-san, I brought you a towel and some water." The door opened as Naru and Kuri was surprised at the arrival.

"Ah, please leave them there," Rei instructed.

"Yes, ma'am," the blonde priest placed it on the floor.

"Wow," the girls blushed at this man.

Luna looked at him. _'I feel like I've seen him somewhere.'_

Tsubasa glared at him. _'Something's off with that guy,'_

The man closed the door back.

"He's gorgeous!" Naru exclaimed.

Suddenly, Usagi sat up, shocking everyone. "What?! Where?! Where's the gorgeous guy?!"

 _'I can't believe the way your mind works,'_ the cat thought in exasperation.

"Who is that man?" Tsubasa asked Rei.

She priestess sighed. "My oji-san likes to hit on everyone, regardless of gender."

Tsubasa blanched.

"The other day, that man happened to visit our temple. My grandfather took this opportunity to make him a live-in helper." Rei continued as she felt the embarrassment from her grandfather.

"Your grandpa is really interesting," Naru remarked.

Rei looked at the odango girl. "Did you say that your name was Usagi? I'm sorry about what happened."

"Wait, what happened to me?" Usagi asked.

"There's been something going on these days around the temple," Rei said as her face was starting to get serious. "My sixth sense and prophecies used to be absolutely accurate, but now it's gone haywire."

 _'Prophecies? Could this girl be the princess I'm looking for?'_ Luna pondered.

Suddenly, footsteps began to barge in the room.

"Excuse me, where is the head priest?!" a middle-aged woman demanded. She looked irritable.

"What is the matter?" Rei asked.

"My daughter didn't come home after she left to buy amulets from your shrine!" the woman answered. "I heard that your head priest does his so-called special ceremony at 5:30."

"Are you sure he's not forcing people to take the 6 o'clock bus?!" she asked in an accusing tone.

"Please don't make strange accusations," Rei said in a stern tone. "The 5:30 ceremony has been offered for a long time! A policeman was here early this morning, but if you want to report someone missing, just go to the police!"

She stood up and stared down at the woman. "It has nothing to do with my grandfather! Now, get out!"

"My! I cannot believe you! How rude!" the woman yelled.

"You're the one that's rude! Please leave!" Rei shot back.

* * *

Usagi and her friends had to leave early, but Tsubasa stayed back as Rei was taking deep breaths.

"Are you alright?" Tsubasa asked.

She sighed. "I'm fine. Sorry you had to see that."

"Could you tell me what it was about?" he asked politely.

She looked at him and nodded.

"This had been going on ever since the beginning of the incidents. Girls our age would buy amulets from us for good luck. However, they would suddenly disappear thanks to the 6 PM bus," she explained. "Parents would come here to complain and accuse my grandfather for actually staging the kidnappings."

She had a sad look on her face. "I don't know how my grandfather could keep on smiling like that. I love him, yet it really hurts to see his name get smeared like that from those nasty rumors."

Tsubasa scratched the back of his head. After a brief period of silence, he finally spoke.

"Maybe he's willing to take the verbal blows making his way to him," he said.

"What do you mean?" Rei asked, confusion in her eyes.

"These parents are worried to death that their daughters are missing," he explained. "He understands what they are going through and is willing to take the accusations in stride."

He looked at her. "I may not agree to what he's doing, but he seems to be a genuine optimist. Plus, you're here. I can imagine how much hope you give him."

She blinked in surprise. "You really think so?"

He nodded as he looked at his watch. "I better go now. It's starting to get late."

"Right. Let me see you on your way out," she offered.

"It's alright. I'll be fine," he replied.

"Well, alright," she relented. "Thank you for the talk, by the way."

He smiled and gave a thumbs up. "No problem. It's nice to talk to you,"

A small smile graced her lips as a faint blush on her cheeks were adorned. However, he suddenly stopped on the way out.

"Oh, yeah. I need to warn you about something," Tsubasa said.

Rei looked at him. "What is it?"

"The new worker you told us about?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Be careful around him," he said, seriousness on his face.

She looked at him in confusion. "Why?"

"I have a really bad feeling about him," was all Tsubasa said as he left.

Rei pondered his words. She could say that Tsubasa was paranoid about Jed, but she seemed rather suspicious as well. Ever since that man came here, a lot of amulets were sold and the disappearances were rather frequent. In fact, everything happened ever since he was hired. She needed to do a reading quick!

* * *

Rei had begun her fire reading as she wondered why the buses always disappear in front of the shrine? She had put so much concentration to see what was the cause of this.

Suddenly, her pet crows Phobos and Deimos let out a loud 'caw'.

"Is somebody there?!" she yelled out.

The door opened and it was Jed. "Your meal is ready."

"Please leave, I need to concentrate!" she yelled. The stress was really getting to her.

"My apologies," was all he said as he closed the door.

However, she could see a cold gleam in his eyes. Mysterious eyes like ice...

 _'Do these eyes have something to do with my prophecies?'_ she wondered. _'Just what is the main culprit? What is the origin of those troubles?'_

"Rin, Pyo, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!" Rei chanted as she began to form hand signs.

Suddenly, the flames grew wild as she saw the image of who it was.

Jed.

She gasped as she ran out to the next room. When she opened it, Jed was seated in a meditating position.

"So you're the origin of this evil!" she exclaimed, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Don't play dumb!" she yelled. "I trust the fire and it's telling me that you're the main instigator!"

She faced her palm towards him. "Show me who you are!"

He chuckled evilly. "So you found out. You'll go inside too!"

With that, he cast a portal.

"What is..." she said before she was dragged right into it.

In time, Tenebrae had just arrived. He clenched his fist as he realized that he was too late!

Jadeite laughed as he looked at his nemesis. "Just in time, Tenebrae. You must be ready for the show."

He began to form an ice ball. "Now how about I get you set for the show that's about to happen?"

With that, he tossed it at his target. Fortunately, the armored warrior dodged out of the way as he charged at him with a punch. Jadeite smirked as he created his ice shield in front of him. Tenebrae continued his charge as he delivered a dropkick towards him. While the impact caused a few cracks, he was knocked back as he landed on the ground.

Jadeite smirked as he placed his foot on the downed scarfman's chest while preparing another ice blast. Tenebrae delivered a hand chop to his opponent's heel as he delivered the usual ground and pound.

The Dark Kingdom general managed to cast an ice blast that knocked his attacker away. Tenebrae slowly got up as they glared at each other.

"A very strong fighter indeed," Jadeite remarked. "It's a shame that such power is wasted against the Dark Kingdom. Queen Beryl would've been displeased at such a wasted gift."

Suddenly, Tenebrae remembered something. Reaching out from his back, he grabbed the blade that came from Ramua's naginata. With enough energy, the blade had transformed into a horn-like dagger.

"Oh, you've summoned a toy," Jadeite sneered. "This will be interesting."

Holding the dagger together with two hands, he pulled his arms back overhead.

 _'Is he planning to throw it?'_ the general mused. _'No matter what he does, my ice shield can withstand any amount of damage.'_

He began to form another ice shield as he defended himself from the oncoming projectile.

"HYARGH!"

Tenebrae threw it with such velocity that it was like a rotating dagger.

 **CRASH!**

The dagger smashed through the shield.

 _'Impossible!'_ Jadeite exclaimed mentally as the dagger grazed his shoulder. He had grit his teeth from the pain while the flying blade had returned to the armored warrior's hands.

Before Tenebrae could approach him...

 **SLASH!**

"NHARGH!" he grunted in pain as he collapsed to his knees. Jadeite looked to see who his savior was.

"Kyurene..." Jadeite muttered as the bat youma had returned once again in her civilian form. She was clawing right through Tenebrae with her long nails. However, something was different about her from the last time he saw her. Her attacks seemed to have more viciousness and she seemed intent to kill.

With a final slash, Tenebrae was on the ground.

"Master Jadeite, you are wounded," Kyurene said as she ran to his side to carry him. "We need to retreat."

"What are you talking about?" he demanded, feeling offended that she was implying something.

"His timer isn't beeping. Which means he has enough strength to go on," Kyurene answered. She knew this because she had been the first to knock him down from their battle.

Jadeite observed and she was right. Tenebrae was still on his knees. He was dazed, but still had enough strength to keep on going. "Perhaps you are still useful after all. Very well. We will withdraw. Kigaan will do the rest."

The Shitennou general summoned another portal as Kyurene grabbed Tenebrae by the scarf. "We shall continue our battle next time, Tenebrae."

"Another day, shadow vermin." Kyurene sneered as she tossed the armored warrior into the portal.

* * *

The portal opened and Tenebrae dropped down into another dimension like a pancake.

"Tenebrae!"

The shadow man slowly got up and saw Sailor Moon.

"Oh, it seems that Master Jadeite brought another guest," Kigaan cackled as she continued to hold Rei as a hostage.

Sailor Moon glared at the ghoulish youma. "Let her go now! Keeping everyone locked up here is unforgivable! In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!"

She took off her tiara and prepared her aim. "Moon Tiara Action!"

Kigaan jumped out of the way. "You'll have to do better than that, Sailor fool!"

Suddenly, Phobos and Deimos rained down on the youma and began to peck her violently. Unfortunately when the tiara had reached for Kigaan, she quickly grabbed it.

"You can't beat me with this toy," Kigaan taunted.

"You fell for it!" the odango heroine merely yelled.

"Wha-" before she knew it, Tenebrae had grabbed her in a full nelson hold. "Get off me!"

"Rei, are you alright?" Sailor Moon asked the miko.

"I'm fine," she said.

Luna ran up to the miko and tossed her a red pen. "Rei-chan, take this!"

Rei was absolutely shocked. "A cat is talking!"

"I'll explain everything later. You're Sailor Mars, a senshi specialized in fire! Just yell "Mars Power! Make-Up!"!" Luna instructed.

She looked at Kigaan, who was currently trying to get out of Tenebrae's full nelson grip.

"I have no idea what's going on right now, but I don't care!" Rei exclaimed. This evil needed to be stopped at all cost! She raised her pen up high.

"Mars Power! Make-Up!"

She then held the pen over her chest, and long tongues of flame emitted from the pen and formed fiery rings that passed down over her body. The rings tightened to form her entire outfit. She was then fully transformed, finishing with her classic pose.

This was Sailor Mars, the senshi of fire!

"So, Rei-chan is the third senshi?" Usagi exclaimed in shock.

Sailor Mars looked down at her outfit. "W-what's going on?!" This was the sailor senshi's uniform? It felt so...scandalous!

"RAARGH!" Kigaan roared as she was close to breaking out of the hold.

Mars glared at the youma, all outrage disappearing. "Evil spirit, you won't get away with this! I'll take care of you!"

"Fire..." Sailor Mars clasped her hands together with two index fingers pointing outwards (the first "kuji" gesture). A fireball began to form at the tips of her index fingers.

"SOUL!" She shot the projectile forward.

Tenebrae let go of the hold and jumped out of the way. Because of the sudden release, Kigaan almost fell forward.

 **BOOM!**

"AAARGH!" Kigaan yelled in pain as she was engulfed in flame, killing her instantly.

* * *

The energy had suddenly dispersed as Jadeite lost it.

"Damn it!" Jadeite exclaimed in anger.

"Master Jadeite?" Kyurene asked in concern.

"It seems the plan failed," he said with grit teeth. Damn those wretched senshi!

* * *

Sailor Moon looked horrified at such a devastating attack. Suddenly, she looked up to see a swirling portal.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Oh, no! The dimensional hole is closing because of Rei's power!" Luna exclaimed, panic in her tone. "We need to get out of her quickly!"

"How?!" Sailor Moon asked.

Suddenly, a ray of light came down from the black hole.

"The light...it must be Ami!" Sailor Moon exclaimed.

"It might be Ami trying to show us the exit!" Luna added. "We'll escape towards that direction where the signal is coming from!"

 **HONK!**

Everyone turned to see Tuxedo Mask in the driver's seat.

"I'll be the driver! Hurry!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, Tuxedo Mask! When did he show up here?!" Sailor Moon gushed.

"He's so cool..." Mars muttered.

That comment caused the odango heroine to blink.

* * *

Ami was on the verge of tears as she held onto her pen, praying that they get out of there safely.

"Ami-chan!"

That voice! She looked up to see the buses riding out of the portal! Her expression of sadness turned into joy as she saw Sailor Moon and her allies making it out alive! She gave a huge wave as she went to welcome them back.

From afar, Jadeite and Kyurene observed the events playing out.

"So it seems that another senshi has appeared," Jadeite muttered, irked that his plan had failed.

"Master, what do we do now?" Kyurene asked.

He continued to watch as he saw his enemies step out of the bus. One of them was a familiar armored warrior.

Suddenly, Tenebrae looked up and noticed Jadeite and Kyurene by the rooftops. The eyes of the shadow warrior and the Shitennou general were in deadlock.

"We fall back for now. They're worthy opponents," Jadeite answered as he created a portal. _'Especially Tenebrae,'_

He swore that he would defeat him one day as he and his youma left through the portal.

"Is something wrong, Tenebrae?" Sailor Moon asked. The armored warrior looked at her and shook his head and gave a thumbs up.

Ami and Mars noticed it and had a questioning looks on their faces. Where had they seen this gesture before?

The bluenette was suddenly hugged by Sailor Moon. "Thanks, Ami-chan!"

"You did great as well, Usagi-chan!" Ami replied back as she returned the hug.

 _'Goodbye, I'll see you again.'_ Tuxedo Mask thought. He and Tenebrae looked at each other and shared a nod before they disappeared.

"Oh, where did Tuxedo Mask and that mysterious man go?" Mars asked. That brought the question to the other's minds as they turned around to see that they were gone.

"Wait, don't tell me that you like them?!" Sailor Moon accused.

"Y-You've gotta be kidding me! I just wanted to thank them!" Mars denied as she could feel her cheeks blush. "What about you? Do you have a crush on them?"

She turned away as she walked off. "Of course, it could be one-sided. Besides, you have to choose one of them. And I would despise if one of their hearts gets broken."

"C-choose?" Sailor Moon muttered, as if the question was hit right on the head. She glared fiercely at Mars. "What would you know?! At least they would prefer me more than anyone else!"

Mars glared as if she was shooting lasers. "Excuse me? I have half a mind to tell you who you're talking to!"

Sailor Moon stuck out her tongue at her. In response, Mars did the same.

Ami and Luna could only sweatdrop at that. This was probably going to be the start of a fierce rivalry.

* * *

 **A/N: And Sailor Mars makes her enter stage! I'll probably write down the moves Tenebrae has done so far.**

 **Move List:**

 **-Shadow Stream.** Tenebrae's energy stream attack, fired in the L-style.

- **Disembering Halo.** Tenebrae can form a buzzsaw-like energy disc in his hand and toss it at foes. Can slice through monsters with ease. Can also separate into two saws in mid-air, or he can fire two from his hand at once. In whatever form he fires them, they can home in on a foe.

 **-Spinning Hurricane.** Tenebrae lifts up the opponent and throws it high into the air and finishes it off with a Shadow Stream.

 **-Eye Slugger.** A dagger shaped like a horn that can be used as a projectile weapon or close-range.

 **-Knock Tactics.** Tenebrae can direct energy into the Eye Slugger before firing the weapon towards enemies. It has a combustible effect and can destroy enemies in one hit.

 **More attacks will be revealed as the story progresses. We're still a long way to go.**


	7. Ep 7: A Fake Romance, Cruise of Death

Tsubasa thought that with another senshi on their side, things would get easier. I mean, fire was an extremely dangerous element and so it would've been a great battle, right?

Wrong.

Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars were at each other's throats due to the harboring crush they had for Tuxedo Mask. It was amusing at first, but now it got annoying as it became a hindrance. Oh, how he remembered the Dreamland incident.

* * *

 _Both sailor senshi were stuck in a neverending dream as they imagined having a date with Tuxedo Mask himself. Considering that Tenebrae himself is always fighting alongside then regularly, Tuxedo Mask was more of a dream hunk since his_ _appearances were rather sporadic. Unfortunately, this was an illusion created by the puppet youma, Murid. Luna was stuck herself and Ami had already been captured. The cat tried to get them to snap out it, but there was no avail. If only the real Tenebrae or Tuxedo Mask were here..._

 _"Now, I will take your energy while you are dreaming," Murid declared, her voice robotic and monotonous as she rubbed her red apple._

 _ **SLASH!**_

 _A red rose stabbed into the ground, causing the puppet youma to drop her apple as reality ensured._

 _As the illusion shattered, it was revealed that the horses the senshi were riding were broomsticks._

 _Murid looked up at the window to see Tuxedo Mask standing by the ledge._

 _"You should dream only when you're sleeping." the mysterious gentleman said before he left. "Tenebrae, I leave the rest to you,"_

 _"SHIAH!" Tenebrae yelled as he shot an energy burst right from behind the senshi as it hit Murid. While the puppet youma was knocked back, she did not feel pain._

 _The senshi looked down at the floor. "So Tuxedo Mask was really here?" Sailor Moon questioned._

 _Murid had slowly picked up her apple. "How about one last dream?"_

 _The stunned heroines stared before they shook their heads frantically._

 _The puppet let out a breath of red mist as the senshi ran off to find Ami. Tenebrae stayed behind as he blocked the mist with an energy shield. The armored warrior charged at her with a punch, but Murid slowly raised on arm..._

 _ **SPRONG!**_

 _Her arm popped out like a spring and socked Tenebrae in the face! The armored warrior slowly got back up._

 _"You know, it is a bad idea to move around so much. How about I let you go to sleep?" Murid asked as her arm popped back in before she let out another breath of red mist._

 _Tenebrae had summoned another shield as the mist did not reach for the target himself._

 _"Tenebrae!"_

 _The armored warrior looked to see that the sailor senshi were back, with Mercury alongside._

 _"We'll take it from here!" Sailor Moon exclaimed._

 _"Everyone, aim for that apple!" Sailor Mercury instructed._

 _"Right!" Sailor Mars agreed._

 _"Oh?" Murid questioned._

 _"Sabão Spray!" Mercury exclaimed as she cast a bubble mist around the area._

 _"Oh, dear? Where am I?" the puppet youma asked._

 _She looked up to see Mars diving right at her as she placed a paper charm on the youma's face. "Be gone, evil spirit!"_

 _"Moon Tiara Action!" Moon called out as she threw her tiara._

 _"Fire Soul!" Mars shot out a fireball with her fingers._

 _The flames had surrounded the tiara as it created a flaming tiara._

 _"I cannot move," Murid said as she tried to dodge. "Oh no."_

 _ **BOOM!**_

 _The apple had disintegrated into dust, but Murid's body had collapsed. It appeared that the youma within had been destroyed._

* * *

Sure, they made it out in the end. But with the enemies sent their way growing progressively more powerful, he wondered how long they would last with this attitude?

Looking out of the window, he wondered what kind of plan Jadeite has up his sleeve. And what exactly is the Dark Kingdom? Many questions were running through his head.

Especially since the day he received the Shadow Helmet.

* * *

 _"Moon Tiara Action!"_

"Damn that detestable girl!" Jadeite muttered as he watched the previous battles that had occurred. Many of his plans had failed because of her! Queen Beryl was growing more discontent with him as he needed to find a way to get back in her good graces.

 _Tenebrae had gathered enough power to cast a stream of energy._

Tenebrae. That armored menace was once again in his way. He could feel the wound on his shoulder from that weapon of his. A threat if he ever saw one and an enemy that needed to be killed. If it weren't for Kyurene, he would have been killed.

A soft chuckle echoed in the room as Jadeite turned around to see a water pillar form behind him. Standing right in front of her was Thetis, the water youma who served as one of Queen Beryl's bodyguards.

"I have no idea that the great Master Jadeite was having such a hard time with a little girl," Thetis teased.

"Thetis..." he muttered.

"I'm so glad you remembered me, Master Jadeite," she said.

"Hmph, you serve under Queen Beryl," the Shitennou general reminded. It was a really high position in the Dark Kingdom.

"Besides, he has me under him," Kyurene interjected as she stepped right in.

"Oh, Kyurene. You're still here?" Thetis said, a tone of dismissal in her voice. "The last time I heard, you were hiding like a coward."

"You..." the bat youma growled as she extracted her claws.

"Kyurene, stand down," Jadeite calmly ordered. She begrudgingly obeyed as she retracted them. "What brings you here, Thetis?"

The water youma smiled. "You haven't changed a bit. I adore you so much, but you always give me the cold shoulder."

"I don't have time for your games. Get out of here!" Jadeite snapped.

"Shall I escort her out?" Kyurene asked as she eagerly took back out her claws.

"Now don't say that," Thetis said with a smile, ignoring the bat youma completely. "I have developed a very efficient way to collect energy."

"Spare him the drabble and-" before Kyurene could say anything, Jadeite raised a hand to stop her.

"This better be good," Jadeite said as he looked at her.

"Do I finally have your attention now?" the water youma said, her smile ever infuriating Kyurene as she chuckled.

"I call it: Operation Romantic Cruise."

* * *

Naru and Tsubasa stood around Usagi's desk in class as they looked at the new cruise brochure. The odango sighed as she began her fantasy.

"Wouldn't you love to sail on a ship like this just once in your life?" Usagi muttered.

"But they say that it's booked for a month in advance already," Naru said.

"Ah, that Romantic Cruise? It's nice, isn't it?" Umino asked as he reached the table. He reached for it and read through it. "The maximum capacity is 666 passengers."

Tsubasa raised an eyebrow. Seriously? That's just hilariously bad.

"If you spend a night gazing at the scenery from Tokyo to Yokohama on any ship, any couple would fall in love," Umino continued.

The bespectacled boy imagined him on the cruise with Usagi, until the image of her elbowing his face knocked him back to reality.

The ponytailed boy chuckled as the girls gave deadpan looks. "If I were with you, that would never happen," Usagi remarked. "I'm sure of it."

"Usagi-san, did you want to get on this ship?" Umino asked. "Oh, I wish I knew..."

"Umino, are you saying..." Usagi began.

"You had tickets?!" Naru finished.

"Yes, but I gave the invitational tickets to the lady next door," Umino answered.

"Why would you give them away?!" Usagi exclaimed in exasperation. This would've been her only chance to go and find a good-looking guy!

"Well, we are still in junior high after all," Umino answered sheepishly. "We can't do anything delinquent like going out so late at night."

Naru stared at such a stickler. "He's got a weird sense of ethics."

"Come to think of it, there's a raffle going on in the shopping district where they're giving away raffle tickets as prizes," Umino pointed out.

That statement cause Usagi to zoom out of the classroom. The remaining trio could only sweatdrop at her antics.

"I better follow her before she causes herself trouble," Tsubasa said as he walked out of the classroom.

* * *

"No! I lost again!" Usagi whined as she got a red ball out instead in the raffle.

"Here's your consolation prize of tissues!" the clerk exclaimed as he passed a bundle of tissues to her.

"How many of those tissues do you have?" Tsubasa asked.

"Plenty," was the answer as the pinkette blinked.

"It's so unfair!" Usagi exclaimed as she and Tsubasa got out of the crowd.

"Usagi! Tsubasa-san!"

Bot of them saw Rei walking to them with groceries in hand. The school uniform she wore was from an all-girl's private school.

"Afternoon, Rei-san," Tsubasa greeted with a slight bow. "You seem awfully busy,"

"Just a few errands and all. Nothing important," Rei replied.

"Hey, listen," Usagi began as she pointed at the poster. "I tried ten whole times to win this prize!"

"Invitation for two. You actually want this stuff?" the miko asked in disinterest.

"You're not interested?" the odango girl asked.

"Of course not!" Rei answered. "We don't have time to waste on this kind of stuff!"

"There's gonna be hot guys there that might be your fancy," Tsubasa said.

Rei stared at him as she let that sentence sink in.

"I suppose I can give it a shot," Rei said neutrally as she went up to the counter to pass the small fee. "I'd like a turn, please."

"Go right ahead!" the clerk said.

The miko placed her hands in prayer as she concentrated on her spiritual abilities. Tsubasa and Usagi could feel the pressure coming from her.

"She's so serious!" Usagi exclaimed in wonder.

"HAH!" Rei yelled as she finally completed the channeling. She took the handle and spun it around rather quickly.

After stopping, a yellow ball fell out from the box and into the tray.

The clerk saw it and rang the bell. "Congratulations! You won the first prize! Tickets for the romantic cruise!"

"Wow! I did it!" Rei cheered in joy.

"Way to keep your cool, Rei-san," Tsubasa remarked, causing the miko to blush in embarrassment.

* * *

"Hey, you said that you weren't interested!" Usagi exclaimed as they were currently in the park.

"It doesn't meant I have to give the tickets to you," Rei retorted.

The odango girl thought of something. "Then why don't we go together? I bet it'll be nice and romantic!"

"This is a cruise that you're supposed to go with your boyfriend!" Rei exclaimed.

"I know you don't have any!" Usagi mocked.

"Shut up!" Rei shot back.

"See? I'm right! You don't have a boyfriend!" Usagi pressed on.

"I'm not you, you know. I have one or two..." Rei muttered.

"So those guys hitting on you at the shrine were your boyfriends?" Tsubasa asked innocently.

"Ugh! Not in a million years!" Rei blanched. She remembered when those thugs tried to flirt with her. Other than a hideous spike mohawk and various body piercings that bordered into horror, they were the most obnoxious and vile people she had met.

"Really? I thought that you make a good couple together," Usagi snickered.

Rei got incensed as she and the odango atama began to bicker.

"What's going on?" Ami asked in curiosity as she walked up to Tsubasa.

"They're arguing about cruise tickets," he answered.

Usagi noticed Ami's arrival. "Ami-chan, Rei's being mean to me!"

Rei pushed her out of the way. "Ami-chan, I'm glad you're here! Do you have a minute?"

"Hm? What is it?" Ami asked.

Rei took the bluenette's hand and dragged her off.

"I know it! I just know she doesn't have any boyfriends!" Usagi yelled. "Get back here!"

Just before they could catch up with them...

"Tsubasa-kun!"

They turned around to see Mikan walk up to them.

"Oh my gosh, it's Mikan Shiratori!" Usagi exclaimed in awe.

"Hey, Mikan-senpai!" Tsubasa greeted with a wave. "What brings you here?"

"I was looking for you since I couldn't contact you at your house," the idol answered.

"I knew you weren't lying about knowing Mikan!" Usagi exclaimed before she ran up to her with a piece of paper. "Can I have your autograph, please?"

The older girl giggled and wrote a signature on the paper. "So this is the girl you told me about."

"What are you talking about?" Usagi asked in confusion.

Mikan gave her back the paper which said 'To Usagi.'

And her signature was there! Not only that, she knew her name!

"Thank you so much!" Usagi exclaimed in gratitude.

"By the way, I wanted to give you something," Mikan said to Tsubasa as she took out something from her pocket.

"Tickets?" the ravenette asked.

"To the romantic cruise," the idol replied as she handed the tickets to him.

"Woah, you're so lucky!" Usagi muttered in awe.

"You're not going?" Tsubasa wondered.

She shook her head. "I'm going to be busy on that day. Maybe you and your girlfriend Usagi could enjoy this trip,"

Before he could reply, Usagi ran up to her. "Thank you very much! Me and my boyfriend are going to have a nice time there!"

Mikan smiled before she realized something. "I better go now! My manager needs me for a meeting."

With a wave, she left. Tsubasa turned to her. "You really wanted to go to that cruise, don't you?"

The odango girl scratched her head with a sheepish smile. "Well..."

"I guess I gotta keep an eye on you, huh?" he said with a soft smile as he walked up to her. "When we get on this cruise, let's have some fun."

Usagi felt her face slightly heat up from those words and the smile that accompanied them. "R-right!"

"Maybe you'll find a really good guy there," Tsubasa said before he looked at his watch. "I better go now. Here,"

He placed a ticket on her palm, causing Usagi's face to turn redder.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" he exclaimed as he left, leaving the girl to stand flustered.

From afar, Luna sat on the bench and watched the exchange. _'Geez, for someone so forward, he's either dense or innocent.'_

* * *

Cruise day as Tsubasa and an excited Usagi waited in line to gain entry. Tsubasa seemed rather content as he carried his sling-bag while Usagi tried not to burst as she had fantasies of kissing by a beautiful sunset.

"Usagi? Tsubasa?"

Snapping back to reality, Usagi turned around to see Rei with...Ami?!

"AHA!" Usagi exclaimed as she pointed at Rei. "I knew you don't have a boyfriend!"

"That's not the issue right now!" Rei yelled hotly. "What are you doing here? You don't have any tickets!"

Usagi showed her the ticket, enjoying the shocked look on her face. "H-How?!"

"Well, a friend of mine couldn't go so she asked me to take them," Tsubasa answered.

"That must be one good friend you have," Ami remarked.

He nodded.

"And it's none other than Mikan Shiratori herself!" Usagi bragged, causing Rei's jaw to drop.

"No way!" Rei exclaimed. The odango girl took out the signed paper from the other day.

"Read 'em and weep," Usagi said smugly as she gave out a haughty laugh.

"Grr..." the miko growled.

"Now that I'm on this trip, I'll make sure that I get a boyfriend first before you!" Usagi declared.

"Well, not on my watch!" Rei shot back as both of them glared lightning bolts at each other.

"Oh dear," Ami muttered.

"So what are your plans?" Tsubasa asked the prodigy.

"Well, I was planning to study there," she answered.

"I think you could do more on this huge ship," he said.

"Like what?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Well, there's sight-seeing and there's a pool up there. Maybe if you're not interested, I hear that there's going to be a show," the boy suggested.

Ami hummed in thought. It is a big ship and it does sound interesting.

As they went up, Tsubasa felt a dark presence looming closer in. He didn't know what it was, but it was there. This cruise isn't what it seemed.

* * *

As they walked through the deck, they had to move at a slower pace since the ship was rocking back and forth.

"How could everyone be happy at a place as shaky as this?" Rei exclaimed in disbelief, struggling to move through.

"I guess it's the atmosphere," Tsubasa remarked. Still, a cruise ship like this should've moved on a straighter path without and rocking.

"Where is that odango atama, anyway?" Rei asked.

"She ran off to find some guys to talk to." Tsubasa answered.

"Tch, typical Usagi," the miko scoffed.

"I think we're the only pair of girls on this ship," Ami observed.

"I know that," Rei said, feeling agitated. "Sure, they said that it was ship for lovers but I never expected that everyone here would be a couple."

"Then Usagi is gonna be disappointed for sure," Tsubasa remarked with a chuckle.

"We sure won't be finding any boyfriends here," Ami said as they reached the front.

The sea looked very beautiful and the waves were very calm and soothing. If someone could say that it felt like magic, they might not be sugercoating it.

"Oh, I just came up with a great idea!" Rei exclaimed.

"What is it?" Ami asked.

"Sure, there are so many couples on this ship, there should be some that'll break up!" Rei explained.

"Rei, you are not going to sabotage their relationship," Tsubasa said firmly.

"I never said that!" Rei denied. What did he take her for? Sure, she was eager to date guys, but she would never break them up on purpose! "Anyway, we'll wait for nature to take it's course and we'll come in and catch those single guys! What do you think?"

Ami merely sighed. "I should've stayed at home and studied."

"That makes two of us," Tsubasa added. As he looked around the area, he noticed a female ship pilot walking somewhere. As she passed him, he felt some sort of strange aura coming from her. In fact, it was even stronger than any of the previous presences he felt!

Something was wrong with this cruise.

"I need to find Usagi," Tsubasa said as he prepared to leave. "See you guys later,"

Ami waved goodbye.

"Good luck in finding her," Rei said, before she grumbled. "Wherever she is."

* * *

 _"Ladies and gentlemen, please gather in the reception hall. We will be putting on a special show for you."_

That was the intercom. Tsubasa walked around to try and find anything suspicious, but there was nothing. Maybe he could go to the reception hall and find the true nature of it all.

However, as he got there, he felt a really strong presence there and two guards that were there. He took a closer look and noticed that their eyes looked lifeless. It was as if they were possessed!

Taking cover in a corner, he tried to find a secluded spot to take out the Shadow Helmet from his bag.

 **"KUROGANE, YATTE YARUZE!"**

In an instant, metal plates covered his body as he transformed into Tenebrae. When he scarf sprouted from underneath the helmet, he began to walk up to the front entrance with the most courteous intent.

* * *

"J-Jadeite..." Ami muttered as she and Rei were the only ones standing. All of the other passengers were unconscious from the energy loss.

Thetis, in her true form, noticed that they were still standing. "It seems that there are some still left standing,"

"A minor miscalculation," Jadeite said. "You only stole the energy of love. These girls are not in love with each other."

"You two, why didn't you come here with boys?" Thetis demanded.

That ticked both Rei and Ami off.

"Shut up! It's none of your business!" Rei yelled as Ami nodded in agreement.

"Pesky girls," Thetis muttered. "Get rid of them,"

The guards began to approach them, only to form into blob monsters.

The girls screamed in horror as the blob minions began to approach them. Thinking quickly, Rei grabbed a folded steel chair and slashed through them.

"How about that?!" she exclaimed.

Unfortunately, the split halves reformed into a full body.

"It'll be endless at this rate!" Rei yelled in exasperation.

"We can't transform now because they'll find out who we are!" Ami said in panic as they were surrounded.

"HRAGH!"

The reception hall's doors were slammed opened as the guards were knocked right off. Stepping in the room was Tenebrae, who was cracking his knuckles.

"Tenebrae. We meet again," Jadeite said.

"It's him!" Rei exclaimed as she and Ami sighed in relief.

"So this is the one who defeated Kyurene..." Thetis remarked.

"CHA!"

Sending out sharp energy bursts, he shot at the blob minions, which had weakened them.

"Now that won't do," Jadeite mused as he snapped his finger.

All of the sudden, the bat youma flew out from the shadows and grabbed Tenebrae by the scarf as she threw him out of the window and into the front deck.

"Tenebrae!" Rei yelled in shock, yet they were surrounded.

"We need to put him down for good," Jadeite remarked as he looked at Thetis. "I'm sure you know what to do,"

Thetis nodded. "Just so you know, we have collected enough energy for Queen Beryl. I assure you that she would be pleased."

With that, the water youma left through the window to assist Kyurene in eliminating the armored shadow.

* * *

"EUGH!" Tenebrae groaned as he landed right on the deck. Kyurene landed gracefully thanks to her wings.

"I've been looking forward to skewering you," the bat youma snarled as she began to walk up to him with her claws extracted.

"Die!" she exclaimed as she clawed at him.

Tenebrae blocked her attack and punched her in the gut. Then, he threw her over his shoulder with a takedown. Before he could deliver the ground and pound, Kyurene quickly clawed him away and delivered a back flip kick right at his chin before landing gracefully.

The armored hero slowly got up until...

 **SPLASH!**

A torrent of water had blasted into him, making him slam into the hard wall. Thetis stood on the railing as she controlled the sea water.

"Stay out of this, sea harlot!" Kyurene snarled. "He's mine!"

"Oh, as if a vermin like you would be able to defeat him without my help," Thetis snarked back. If she had her face, there would've been a smirk on her lips. "Take this!"

Tenebrae jumped out of the way as another torrent of water blasted right at him. However, Kyurene charged right at him and slammed him into the wall. Before she could claw right at him again, the armored warrior hand chopped her in the forehead and threw her down with another takedown. Thetis blasted another torrent, but this time, Tenebrae blocked it with an energy shield. Lifting Kyurene up in the air, he threw the bat youma right at Thetis as they fell off onto the front deck.

Both youma slowly got up before they unleashed their attacks on him together. Thetis's water blast with Kyurene's sound wave.

Tenebrae had cast another energy shield, yet he was being pushed back. Jadeite stood by as he watched Thetis and Kyurene work together. If they had stopped bickering as usual, then they could manage to easily overcome Tenebrae.

"Fire Soul!"

A fireball had cause the youma to halt their attacks as they jumped away to avoid the flames. Jumping right in front of Tenebrae were three familiar senshi.

"We're here to help!" Sailor Moon declared as she, Mars and Mercury were prepared to fight.

Jadeite grit his teeth. Thetis's minions must've been eliminated.

Tenebrae stood back up and joined his allies.

"Sabão Spray!" Mercury exclaimed as the entire area was covered in bubbles.

Thetis and Kyurene were struggling to see through the bubbles.

"Fire Soul!" Mars shot out her fireball from her fingertips as it surrounded the youma. Thetis's felt weakened but Kyurene tried to blow the flames away with her wings.

"Now, you two!" Mercury exclaimed.

Sailor Moon took off her tiara while Tenebrae took out Eye Slugger.

"Moon Tiara Action!" Moon tossed her tiara.

"HYARGH!" Tenebrae threw his dagger.

The tiara had hit Kyurene as the bat youma in pain had disintegrated.

Thetis gasped in pain from Eye Slugger's hit as she collapsed to her knees. The torrents of water had stopped as Tenebrae began to approach the fallen youma. Thetis looked up at him as she stared into his visor.

"It appears you are as powerful as ever," Thetis muttered. "Queen Beryl has talked about your presence...to think that the peacekeeper of all people would be here. You were always too strong for your own good...especially when you tried to prevent the youma oppression."

Peacekeeper? Oppression? Tenebrae was confused, yet Thetis could see it.

"Ah, you're a different Tenebrae," Thetis mused as she could feel her vision fading. "How amusing these turn of events are...the one who strengthened the alliance between the Earth and the Moon does not remember a thing...or maybe you're someone who chose as his host."

She began to cough. "Farewell, young master. And save Jadeite."

With that, her body had dissolved into water as it joined the seas. The heroes walked to the edge of the ship as they watched the whirlpool form in the sea. It began to slowly die down as the waters returned to it's calm state.

Jadeite leaped down and landed perfectly. "I underestimated you because you were just children, but you seem to have become more powerful than before."

"Jadeite, prepare yourself!" Sailor Moon exclaimed as she and her allies got into battle stances.

"I am so mad!" Mars growled.

"Don't let your guard down," Mercury warned her comrades.

"You cannot beat me. I'll make sure I finish you," Jadeite prepared to form an ice ball around his palm. Before he could prepare the finishing blow, he suddenly disappeared.

"Huh? Where did he go?" Sailor Moon wondered.

"Did he run away?" Mars questioned.

"No way!" Mercury exclaimed in frustration.

Tenebrae stayed silent, not that it was unusual. However, he felt a different kind of power that teleported him.

* * *

Jadeite opened his eyes as he found himself back in the lair. When he looked up, his eyes widened in fear.

"Q-Queen Beryl..." he muttered.

Indeed, it was the sorceress standing right in front of her general as she had a crossed look on her face.

"Not only have you used my precious subordinate Thetis without my permission, you have also failed me and had Kyurene killed," Queen Beryl said. "I should have put you to eternal sleep right now..."

"W-Wait, it's a misunderstanding!" Jadeite pleaded. "This was her idea to begin with-"

"However, I will spare you now since I can still feel traces of her magical energy," she continued. Jadeite's eyes widened. She couldn't possibly mean... "We will discuss your failure back at the palace."

"Y-Yes, my lady," Jadeite said. _'Damn you, Sailor Moon! You and Tenebrae will pay for this!'_

Once Jadeite left, Queen Beryl looked up into the sky void.

 _'Tenebrae, it seems that your really have returned. Just how long can you delay the inevitable?'_

* * *

The cruise ship had turned out to be a wrecked ship. Slowly, the passengers began to stir as they wondered where they were. A patrol ship's alarm blared through the seas as they arrived to pick up the passengers.

The sailor senshi had returned to normal while Tenebrae disappeared.

"Aw, the romantic cruise is all ruined now!" Usagi whined.

"I'm not giving up!" Rei affirmed. "If I ever have another chance, I'm definitely coming with a boyfriend!"

"Me too!" Usagi declared.

"That would be impossible for you," the miko mocked.

"What did you say?!" the odango girl growled.

"Geez, these two never quit, do they?" Luna sighed.

"I'm going to study," Ami said as she took out a textbook.

"Oh, dear," Luna muttered.

Tsubasa had walked up to her. "Hey. So what did I miss?"

"Nothing much," Ami replied.

"Tsubasa-kun, come here and show Rei how much of a good girlfriend I can be!" Usagi exclaimed.

"Hey, don't drag him into this!" Rei yelled.

The ravenette sighed as the argument went on. Still, what Thetis said. Why did she call him 'young master'? What was that about the Earth and Moon? Why would she want him to rescue Jadeite? So many questions were piling up as he tried to wonder what was going on.

* * *

 **A/N: Another chapter down! A quick question, should I keep the filler or just remain with the Seven Great Youma in the later chapters? As to why Thetis had a small role but big impact, she was one of Queen Beryl's important youma in the anime. I wanted to expand her role a bit, but not too much. Should she return? If so, do I keep her as a villain or have her do a heel-face turn?**


	8. Ep 8: Deadly Challenge, Fall of Jadeite

Jadeite felt the spotlight onto him as he stood right in front of Queen Beryl's throne.

"Jadeite, you have collected a great amount of energy on Earth," the sorceress began. "However, you also had a great amount of failures."

The Shitennou general grit his teeth as his past battles had continued to haunt him.

"Furthermore, not only have Sailor Moon and Tenebrae appeared, but also Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars. In spite of their appearance, you have yet to destroy them."

"B-But Queen Beryl..." Jadeite began.

"I do not want to hear your excuses!" she exclaimed with narrowed eyes. She was still infuriated by the loss of Thetis, her most trustworthy youma.

Jadeite looked at his feet in shame.

"You will defeat those three sailor soldiers standing in our way," Queen Beryl ordered before she smirked. "If you cannot destroy them, I'll have someone else replace you,"

"Replace him? Who would be capable enough to replace him?"

"At least it's better than Eternal Sleep."

"How terrifying!"

Jadeite clenched his fists as this was his final chance. If he could not complete this mission, he would have to live with this defeat in disgrace. Suddenly, a thought popped up.

"But what about Tenebrae, my queen?" he asked.

Silence ensured as the whole throne room went quiet. The sorceress merely stared at him, which made the general grow increasingly nervous. After a brief moment, she broke the silence.

"Do not pursue him," she said. Jadeite was stunned by this answer. "He is by far the most powerful of foes. The death of these senshi would definitely crush his spirit."

Jadeite blinked. He did not expect that answer.

Queen Beryl continued. "However, if you ignore my warning and return alive, I will have you sentenced to Eternal Sleep, never to be able to return. Disobedience will not be tolerated."

* * *

The stars were beautiful at night as Tsubasa strolled through the streets of Juuban. He had just done some grocery shopping to continue stocking his fridge. It felt...normal.

However, he thought back to Thetis's words. Young master? It definitely had something to do with Tenebrae. With how much left in the dark he was, what was it that made this power a mystery?

Suddenly, he heard a laugh echo in the sky. In fact, there was a dark presence up there! Looking up, he saw dark energy swirling through and appearing right there was Jadeite.

"I am Jadeite! Listen closely, Sailor Senshi: Haneda Airport, 1 AM, tomorrow. Come to runway F. But if you do not..."

With a smirk, he cast a fireball upon the town.

Tsubasa covered his eyes from the bright light. When he managed to look back up, a look of horror spread across his face as he witness everything engulfed in flames. It was as if he walked upon hellfire and brimstone.

However, a finger snap was heard and everything was back to normal.

"Hmph, it was just an illusion," Jadeite said. "But if you don't show up, I will burn Tokyo to the ground!"

With that, he disappeared and the dark presence was gone. Tsubasa felt alarmed. He was calling out the Sailor Senshi or he'll burn everything to the ground. Knowing the general, he must have some tricks set up for the three girls.

* * *

The news of the mysterious image in the sky had been all over the radio. While the image was merely dismissed as a prank, the threat to burn Tokyo had caused extra police officers to be dispatched.

Tsubasa arrived in class and noticed Usagi standing by the window, alone from the others. She seemed to be in deep thought.

"Morning, Usagi," he greeted.

That seemed to break her out of her thoughts. "Oh, hi Tsubasa-kun!"

"What are you doing, all alone there?" he asked as he stood next to her.

"Well, I was just thinking of some stuff here and there..." Usagi answered, trailing off.

"It's the airport incident, huh?" he guessed.

"Well...don't you think that such a thing is scary?" she asked.

"Of course it is," Tsubasa answered. "As long as the heroes are there, they can get the job done,"

The odango girl looked at him. "You really think so?"

He nodded, causing the girl to smile.

"Hey, Usagi-chan!" Naru called out as she, Umino and a rather plump classmate walked up to them. "What do you think about the incident?"

"It's gotta be a practical joke," the plump classmate guessed.

"It is definitely not!" Umino argued. "That was an alien! It was an alien warning us corrupt humans on this Earth!"

Tsubasa facepalmed. That was more or less the truth, but he could not really take Umino's theory seriously due to this overdramatization.

"You've been reading too many third-rate sci-fi manga!" Naru reprimanded.

"Either way, it sounds fun!" the plump girl exclaimed, gushing in excitement.

 _'Oh, how wrong she is,'_ Tsubasa thought.

"Let's all go to Haneda tonight!"

That alarmed both Usagi and Tsubasa.

"W-Wait just a second..." Usagi began.

"No, you will not!"

Everyone turned to see Ms. Haruna, a stern expression and her hands on her hips.

"Junior high school students are not allowed to break curfew!" she exclaimed.

Fortunately, Tsubasa didn't have any curfew.

"That's right!" Usagi agreed. "You guys shouldn't go!"

"Why not?" the other students asked.

"Because it's dangerous," Usagi answered.

"Why is it dangerous?" the plump girl asked.

"Well..." Usagi trailed off.

"Usagi-san, do you know anything?" Umino wondered.

"I don't know anything!" Usagi denied. "Anyway, if you have time to go out at night to have fun, I think you should be at home studying!"

They were shocked, but Ms. Haruna's reaction was priceless.

"Tsukino-san..." she muttered as she went over to place her hands on her student's shoulders to gently shake them. "You're suddenly sounding so serious..."

"Eh?" Usagi uttered in confusion.

She placed a hand on her forehead. "You don't seem to have a fever."

Ms. Haruna clasped her hands together. "Do you have any problems you want to talk about?"

Tsubasa snickered quietly while Usagi looked baffled.

"If you want, I'm here to listen," Ms. Haruna offered.

"Oh, you think it's weird for me to say something serious?!" Usagi exclaimed in indignation before she teared up. "That's mean!"

"Er, Usagi. I don't think she meant by that," Tsubasa said as the teacher sighed in relief. Call her crazy, but Usagi was known as the slacker. Can you blame her?

* * *

Motoki laughed in good nature as he listened to Usagi's problem. Tsubasa was drinking a can of soda.

"See? Isn't it horrible?" Usagi asked as she still held her pout since this morning.

"But I completely agree with your teacher," Motoki said. Usagi was distraught. "Part of your charm is how you don't say normal, serious things,"

He looked straight into her eyes. "If anything, I like girls with unique personalities,"

Usagi was now smiling wide when he said that.

* * *

"Yatta!" Usagi jumped in the air with joy. Tsubasa chuckled as he walked right behind her.

"Still think you have a chance with him?" he asked.

"Of course!" she answered as she began to skip in joy. "Coming from one of the nicest guys I know, I feel so alive!"

Unfortunately as she was skipping, her shoe slipped off into the air. Usagi and Tsubasa looked up in awe at the distance.

"You know, you'd be a shoe-in for the shoe throwing Olympics," Tsubasa remarked as Usagi deadpanned at his horrible pun. "Sorry."

 **BONK!**

"Ouch!"

Both of them saw that the shoe landed on someone's head.

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry!" Usagi called out as she went up to the person. However, it turns out that the shoe landed on Mamoru!

"Again?!" Both of them exclaimed.

"You hit me with your shoe again! Did you aim at me on purpose?!" Mamoru accused.

"It's your fault for not paying attention to where you're walking!" Usagi argued.

"Oh, yeah? You're very uncute!" Mamoru insulted. "Can't you talk more properly like a normal girl?"

Usagi stuck her tongue out devilishly. "Nope!" She went into gush mode. "Because someone told me that he likes me better because I don't act normal!" Not even he could ruin her good mood.

"That's stupid. Guys like that are just losers," Mamoru remarked.

And the good mood was gone. Tsubasa winced at the escalation.

"He's much more charming than you'll ever be!" Usagi exclaimed.

"Birds of a feather flock together. Every Jack has his Jill," Mamoru recited. "Dust goes in a dust bin! A loser for an odango atama? Hah!"

 _'Ouch,'_ Tsubasa flinched at that insult.

That caused Usagi to tear up. "You're so mean! I can't do anything about you calling me names, but how could you say bad things about Motoki?!"

Mamoru blanched. She was talking about Motoki, the extremely nice guy who works at the Game Center Crown?! Before he could say anything, Usagi began to cry loudly, which made her cause a scene. "Hey, don't..."

The older boy winced as he noticed the whispers in the crowd and the looks of disapproval.

"Meanie! Meanie!" Usagi wailed as she sank to her knees.

Tsubasa and Mamoru looked at each other.

"Run," was all Tsubasa said. It wasn't a threat, but more of an urgent warning.

"I'm sorry, I have some urgent business to take care of," Mamoru excused himself as he returned her shoe. "Well, bye!"

In a flash, he ran off while Usagi continued to cry. Tsubasa kneeled next to her and rubbed her back.

"Er...there, there?" Tsubasa said in uncertainty. He had never done this before.

Usagi's cries slowly began to die down as she sniffed her nose. She looked at him.

"Thanks," she uttered as she rubbed away the tears from her eyes.

He smiled. "Don't worry about him. I think Motoki's a winner."

She smiled. "You too?"

He gave her a thumbs up. In an instant, Usagi hugged him.

"Thanks. I don't care what that jerk says. I'll show him that Motoki and I would make a good match,"

* * *

It was 1 AM at the airport. Guards were stationed all around the place as they were more alert than ever.

Jadeite stood on top of the airport watchtower as he observed the guards. "I have no use for you people, so have a nice deserved rest."

With that, he cast a sleeping spell all over the airport as the guards collapsed. With that, the Shitennou general began roaming around freely as he began to laugh. He was finally going to get rid of those blasted senshi.

* * *

"Usagi, you're supposed to live up to your namesake! Why are you so slow?!" Rei exclaimed.

"You're acting all bossy again!" Usagi yelled.

"Now is not the time to fight amongst ourselves," Ami chided.

They ran up to the station, only to find that the monorail wasn't functioning.

"Oh, no. Looks like it's not running anymore after all," Usagi lamented.

"I guess we have to take the taxi," Rei suggested.

To their surprise, the monorail door opened in an instant.

"What the?!" Usagi exclaimed in shock.

"What's going on?" Luna questioned.

"Looks like the enemy is inviting us in," Rei guessed as she began walking in. "Just what I like to see!"

"Oh, wait!" Usagi and Ami called out as they followed.

The monorail was empty, void of any passengers. Once they got inside, the doors went shut in an instant.

"The door!" Ami exclaimed.

With that, the transportation began.

* * *

The ride felt long and ominous. A sense of dread washed among the senshi.

Once they arrived, they had got off and ran through the airport. However, they had to be discreet since there were so many police officers around the area.

"Seems like nothing happened yet," Rei remarked.

"We should stay alert," Ami said.

Unbeknownst to them, several guards were right behind them. However, something was wrong.

Rei felt the killing and turned around. "Behind you!"

Usagi and Ami gasped as the possessed guard were about to attack them with nightsticks.

Rei kicked one of them away as she prepared to fight.

"Why are police officers after us?!" Usagi questioned in panic.

"This way! Hurry!" Rei exclaimed as they began to run.

"I hate this so much!" Usagi complained. "Our own police officers are trying to kill us!"

The chase had gone from inside the airport to the runway.

 _'Something's wrong,'_ Ami thought as she noticed the guards's lifeless eyes.

Ami took out her transformation pen. "Mercury Power! Make-Up!" In an instant, she transformed into Sailor Mercury!

"Alright! Me too!" Rei exclaimed in determination as she took out her own pen. "Mars Power! Make-Up!"

The guards looked startled.

"What?! I'm the last one?!" Usagi exclaimed. However, hers eyes turned to determination as she took out her transformation brooch. "Moon Prism Power! Make-Up!"

She first raised her hand as her nails then sparkled and turned pink. Her eyes blinked open while her entire body outline were obscured by glowing colors with only her brooch visible. Usagi spun around several times and translucent pink ribbons wrapped around her body, forming her leotard, gloves and boots. Her skirt appeared, and she spun again as her tiara gem appeared on her forehead and her tiara and odango covers materialized. Sailor Moon finished with her final pose.

With that, the senshi began to fight.

Sailor Mercury summoned her Mercury Goggles as she scanned the energy around the guards. Making several calculations, she gasped.

"This means..." Mercury muttered. "These aren't real police officers! They're made of clay!"

"Just like Thetis's minions from the cruise!" Mars exclaimed before she smirked. "Now that I know that, I won't show them any mercy!"

"Fire Soul!" Mars ignited a fireball from her fingertips as the flames engulfed the claymen, causing them to turn into ash.

"I did it," Mars said.

"They really are clay figures," Luna muttered.

"Sailor Mars, you're great!" Moon praised in awe.

"You could say that," Mars replied. She didn't mean to brag, but...

Suddenly, laughter echoed in the skies as the girls looked up to see Jadeite with his arms crossed.

"Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars," he began. "I saw who you are!"

Luna gasped in horror! They were compromised!

"Oh, no! He found out!" Moon cried out in horror.

"The life of a flower is short and full of suffering," Jadeite said as he gave a vicious smirk. "Today will be the end of your lives as well!"

The odango heroine placed her hands on her cheeks. "They said that beauty and good fortune go hand in hand! But I guess I'm going to die young because I'm beautiful too!"

Mars looked at her with deadpan. "Just which part exactly makes you beautiful?"

Moon gave a sheepish smile. "W-well at least I'm prettier than you!"

"Really? Which parts?" Mars asked, challenging her teammate.

"Of course around here!" Moon pointed to her own face.

Mars laughed. "You're so funny! I think a monkey at Ueno Zoo is prettier than you are!"

"I can't believe you just said that!" Moon bawled.

"I told you already, this is not the time to fight amongst yourselves," Mercury said as she tried to break up the argument.

"S-Sorry," Usagi said in shame.

"We have a mission to do," the bluenette said with determination. "We can't die now!"

"Poor little lambs, you're all going to hell!" Jadeite declared. With that, he began to concentrate his power and began to cast it on an airplane. All of the sudden, the airplane began to turn around and speed towards them.

"No way!" Sailor Moon exclaimed in horror. "We're all going to get run over!"

"Run!" Luna exclaimed as the heroines tried to run away. Unfortunately, another airplane slowly rotated towards their direction.

"Oh, no! There's another one!" Moon exclaimed as they were surrounded by planes. "I can't believe this! Someone help!"

"I need to use my Fire Soul!" Mars suggested.

"You can't! Do you know how much a jet airplane costs?!" Luna protested. "All your allowances put together for the rest of your lives couldn't pay for one jet!"

"What?!" Moon exclaimed in shock. There goes that plan!

"T-That much?!" Mars muttered.

"Then we have only one solution," Mercury said.

"What is it?" Mars inquired.

"Run!" Mercury exclaimed as she sped off.

"What?!" Moon and Mars yelled, baffled that the genius of the group came up with such a simple plan.

"Getting run over by a car is one thing," Moon yelled as she ran for dear life. "But I'd be too embarrassed to say that I was run over by an airplane!"

She began to notice that they were close to the edge. "We're at a dead end!"

All three of them turned around as the plane was closing in. Jadeite laughed at the imminent doom they were going to face.

"This is it!" he declared.

"EEYAH!"

 **POW!**

Jadeite was kicked right in the face as he fell to the ground. The planes had stopped to a halt.

"Who's there?!" Jadeite demanded as he felt the pain on his cheek. He looked to see that it was Tenebrae, standing and slowly getting up. "You!"

Dropping right next to the armored warrior was Tuxedo Mask. "Are you having fun bullying these girls?"

Jadeite's face turned to a smirk. "You appear again, Tuxedo Mask. I'll make sure I send you to hell!"

"A villain who toys with innocent people. You won't get away with it," Tuxedo Mask remarked.

Tenebrae pointed at Jadeite and gave a thumbs down. Both heroes stared down against the Shitennou general as the winds were blown into the south.

"Tuxedo Mask!" Sailor Moon gushed.

"Tenebrae!" Sailor Mercury exclaimed in relief.

"Kick his clock!" Sailor Mars hyped.

After an intense staredown, Jadeite shot his dark energy at them. "Die!"

Tuxedo Mask jumped out of the way while Tenebrae had cast an energy shield to block the attack. Tuxedo Mask delivered a diving kick as he managed to push Jadeite away, sending them both off the roof and into the waters.

"Tuxedo Mask!" Sailor Moon exclaimed in horror as she and her teammates watched in worry. All of them gathered by the water in hopes of seeing the gentleman alive.

Rising out from the water was a rose.

The girls gasped as Jadeite slowly rose from the sea with a chuckle.

"Where's Tuxedo Mask?" Mars asked.

"Oh, no! What happened to him?!" Moon demanded, panic overtaking her.

The rose on the water continued to float over the moonlight waters as the Shitennou general chuckled.

"You trusty Tuxedo Mask is dead," Jadeite answered with a cruel smirk. "Cry and wail! Can you do nothing without the help of a man?! Women are such foolish creatures in the end."

He laughed until...

 **BOOM!**

"Ugh!" Jadeite growled in pain as he felt a burst of energy hit him. Looking up, Tenebrae had shot at him.

Mars looked at Jadeite with a smirk. "Only old men think men are better than women these days!"

"That's right! Scorning women is positively feudalistic!" Mercury added her two cents.

"Down with sexual discrimination!" Moon chanted.

The sailor senshi placed each of their hands on each others'.

"We must fight against Jadeite, the arrogant man!"

"Hmph! Behold my powers!" Jadeite exclaimed as he shot out a dark energy blast, causing the plane to move again.

"Not again!" Moon cried out in dismay.

"This way!" Mars instructed as the senshi ran.

Jadeite landed on the ground as he watched is glee as the ran.

 **SMACK!**

He was knocked back by a punch as he growled. Of course, he forgot that Tenebrae was in the mix. The pest has been a thorn on his side for too long. It was time to end this now!

Surprising the armored warrior, he delivered a swift kick right at the head before shooting his with an ice blast. Tenebrae was knocked back as he was on his feet. However, Jadeite was merciless and he delivered a knee to the chin, sending his opponent to the floor.

"I underestimated you last time," Jadeite said with a sneer as he formed an ice ball. "But now, I'll make sure you stay dead."

Suddenly, the entire area was full of mist.

"What's happened?" Jadeite muttered as he looked around. He saw Sailor Moon being continuously chased by the plane. However, he noticed that the other two senshi were missing.

"Where did they go?" he questioned.

"I'm here!"

He turned around and saw Sailor Mercury glaring at him.

"Let go of Tenebrae now and fight me!" she challenged.

"Tch, I'll take care of you the same way," Jadeite said as he cast another blast of dark energy. Mercury had ran as another plane came out from the draw distance. Unknown to him, Tenebrae had escaped from his grasp while Mars was right behind the laughing Shitennou general.

Mars took out a paper charm and began to chant.

"Rin, Pyo, Toh, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!"

The paper was placed on Jadeite's back.

"It's no use to run," he said. "Die!"

However, the planes began to turn towards him.

"W-what is this?!" Jadeite exclaimed in dismay as began to run. "Why are they coming towards me?!"

However, he was stopped right in front of three sailor senshi and one armored warrior.

"Don't underestimate us girls! We're not just crybabies, you know!" Moon exclaimed, looking very fierce.

Jadeite blinked as something within him. "Why?! Why are my thoughts in chaos?!"

"Because you have evil thoughts," Mars said.

"You fell into your own trap," Mercury added. "You're the fool!"

"Your countless evil deeds need to be stopped!" Moon declared before posing. "In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

Sailor Moon took off her tiara.

"Moon Tiara Action!"

She tossed the energized tiara right at Jadeite, but he had dodged out of the way.

Tenebrae had began to focus his energy on his right foot as it slowly began to glow. He began to run towards Jadeite before jumping high up into the air.

"HAAH!"

His yell echoed through the skies as he put as much power as he could into his kick.

 **BOOM!**

"AAAARGH!" Jadeite yelled in pain as he was knocked back.

Clouds began to surround the area as the senshi began to cough. Tenebrae had walked out from the smoke while his foot was still smoking from that attack. Approaching the fallen general, Jadeite was down on the ground as his chest sizzled from the impact.

He coughed as he felt his vision fading. "Heh...you really are strong,"

Tenebrae said nothing as he continued to stare.

"Hm, Queen Beryl told me to steer clear of you. I guess thanks to my arrogance, I'm now close to death," Jadeite mused as his life began to flash in his eyes. "Thetis was right. Betraying Endymion was a mistake I had to pay."

Endymion? Tenebrae slowly tilted his head.

"Hmph, it doesn't matter now since I'm going to die. Remember this, shadow warrior. There will be others that will take my place," Jadeite said as he coughed violently. "I look forward to meeting you in the next life."

Jadeite's eyes were closed as he took his last breath. "Thetis...where are you now?"

With that, his body had turned to dust as it scattered into the winds. Tenebrae looked up into the sky as he felt the guilt of not being able to fulfill his promise to Thetis.

* * *

Queen Beryl sighed as she felt Jadeite's energy dissipate. That damn fool had ignored her warning. She told him to stay away from Tenebrae, yet still fought him in the end. Contrary to belief, she was never going to put him to Eternal Sleep. He had so much power that was too good to waste, yet he had died due to his arrogance.

The youma in the crowd began to whisper amongst themselves as to who would take Jadeite's place now. After a brief thought, the sorceress finally spoke.

"Nephrite," Beryl called out as a man with thick and wavy maroon hair walked out from the crowd. "You will be the next strategic commander."

Nephrite clenched his fist as he witnessed the battle himself. Sure, Jadeite acted like a fool, but he was also his comrade! Nephrite kneeled before his queen.

"Leave matters to me, my queen," he said. "I will avenge Jadeite's death."

* * *

Everyone had gathered by the water, as they mourned for Tuxedo Mask's death.

"Tuxedo Mask-sama..." Sailor Moon sobbed as Mars and Mercury stared out into the sea. Tenebrae looked up into the sky as he watched the rose continuing to float.

"It's no use just staring out there," Luna said, sadness in her voice. "We should get going..."

The odango heroine sniffed. "I can't..."

The metal man gently rubbed Sailor Moon's back as a way of comfort.

"Thank you for worrying about me!"

Sailor Moon gasped at that recognizable voice as everyone turned around in joy to see Tuxedo Mask standing alive and well.

"Tuxedo Mask-sama! You're alive!" Moon cried out in joy.

The gentleman smiled. "I won't die so easily,"

"Tuxedo Mask, why do you always come to our rescue?" Mercury asked.

"I know! It's because he loves me!" Moon guessed.

The other two senshi gave her a look. Tenebrae walked up to the gentleman and offered a handshake. The gesture was graciously accepted.

"Just who in the world are you two, though?" Mars asked them.

He shook his head. "I can't reveal my identity yet. Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars. Continue to value your friendship! Goodbye!"

With that, Tuxedo Mask fled into the night as the girls watched in awe. Tuxedo Mask was a mystery. Tenebrae had been left with more questions that need to be answered.

* * *

 **A/N: And so ends Jadeite. Now, Nephrite enters the fray. A quick question. Should Tsubasa's human appearance change in the future? I wanted to do something if he ever does reach full potential with Tenebrae. Regarding character relationships, I might be teasing in these interactions since everyone has a favorite character.**

 **New Move Unlocked!**

 **-Shadow Kick.** Tenebrae jumps to an amazing height of 1,000 meters into the air and charges his foot with energy, striking his opponent with a powerful jump-kick. It can destroy monsters with one blow. There are several variations of this ability that are seen throughout the show.


	9. Ep 9: Tennis Sisters, Second Shitennou

Tsubasa slowly woke up as he stretched his limbs. It was just another morning as last night's events were really tiring. Getting out of bed, he went to take a bath and get ready for today. As he bathed, he pondered Jadeite's last words.

Endymion? Who is that? And what did he meant by betrayal? Wasn't he always working for the Dark Kingdom?

So many questions had popped into his mind ever since he received the Shadow Helmet. He knew not to dwell on it, but they seem to appear out of nowhere.

As he got out of the shower and dried himself off, he turned to the mirror and got himself changed. After putting on his uniform with a finished school cap on his, he went to school.

His eyes looked a shade brighter than usual. It must have been the morning sunshine.

* * *

"What is your strategy in obtaining energy for our Queen Metallia, Nephrite?" Queen Beryl questioned as all were gathered in the throne room.

"Jadeite randomly stole energy from anybody," Nephrite began. "It had merit, but it was a really flawed method."

"Is that so?" Beryl muttered with a raised eyebrow. "Then, Nephrite. How would you do it?"

"I will not go after big groups like Jadeite did," Nephrite answered. "I will show you that I can get enough energy from one single individual."

"And how different is that from Jadeite's plan?" she asked.

"All humans are controlled by the movement of the stars," the Shitennou general explained. "And every single one of them has their own fate. The same is true of their energy. Each human has a moment in their life when their energy level peaks."

"In short," he concluded. "I will read the movement of the stars and go after the humans when their energy level has peaked."

Suddenly, a giggle came from behind. "You seem very confident."

Floating from above was an androgynous male dressed in the Shitennou uniform. His wavy hair was auburn and tied into a ponytail.

"Zoisite, why are you here?" Nephrite asked calmly, thought there is a hint of annoyance.

"Overconfidence will be your downfall," Zoisite remarked with a smile.

"Go away," was all Nephrite said, causing the other general's eye to twitch. He turned back to Queen Beryl. "I will infiltrate the human world and take advantage of their weakness. I do not need advice from Zoisite of all people."

"I can picture you throwing yourself at our queen's mercy," Zoisite taunted. Nephrite glared at him. "Ooh, how scary."

In a whirlwind of petals, Zoisite teleported away as his smug smirk left an impression behind.

 _'Such annoyance,'_ Nephrite thought as his attention turned to his queen.

"Nephrite, I will leave this task in your hands," Queen Beryl said.

"Yes, my queen," he bowed as he shrouded into the shadows. He'll begin his first plan. All he had to do was call for the stars.

* * *

School was over, yet it seemed very eventful as students, teachers and news reporters were trying to approach someone. A tennis player to be exact.

"Rui-chan, how are you doing?" a reporter asked as he held a microphone.

Photographers were snapping pictures as students tried to see the person they followed.

"Do you think you can win the next tournament?" another reporter asked.

"I-I don't know," the tennis player stuttered as she was surrounded. She made a break for it as the crowd began to make chase.

"Everyone in Japan is cheering for you! Please say something!"

"Sorry, but I have practice!" the girl exclaimed as she tried to escape. It was times like this that she wished she wasn't famous.

* * *

"Saionji-senpai! Go for it!"

"Saionji!"

Rui Saionji is a champion tennis player who has made a breakthrough in the school district championships. Very hardworking and dedicated, she strives to do her best. Other than her exceptional abilities, her sportsmanship and etiquette had made her popular with her peers.

The serve began and her opponent hit the ball. Rui deflected it with her racket with such velocity and it landed on the opposing side before anyone could know it.

"She did it!" Usagi exclaimed as she and Naru were watching from the sidelines. Tsubasa had been dragged since he was told to get out more.

"Rui nee-san, you're the best!" Naru exclaimed as Usagi looked at her in confusion.

Rui noticed Naru and smiled.

"I never knew that Rui was your older sister," Usagi said in a pout.

"Huh?" Naru muttered in confusion.

"I will punish you if you keep secrets from your friend!" Usagi declared playfully.

Tsubasa had to quietly snort at the hypocrisy.

"You're so stupid, Usagi," Naru said.

"Stu-" Usagi almost tripped before she burst into anger. "That's mean, Naru-chan! You didn't have to go that far!"

Naru pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm still an only child. Besides, we have different surnames."

Usagi blinked. "But why did you call Rui your older sister?"

"You're childhood friends, aren't you?" Tsubasa guessed.

Naru nodded. "Rui's mother has been a long-time customer at our store. We've been playing together ever since we were little."

Rui moved with grace every time she smacked the ball with her racket. Her playing had the boys of the tennis team cheer on for her.

"She's only a year older than me, but's she's still like a big sister to me," Naru said.

"Lucky..." Tsubasa whispered to himself. Fortunately, nobody heard him.

"Wow, he's so gorgeous!"

 _'He?'_ Tsubasa thought as he tried to find the source of the commotion.

"I heard that he's a successful businessman."

"Do you know him?"

"He's supposed to be the president of a company that was established here recently."

Everyone was looking at a tall and well-dressed man with wavy maroon hair.

"He's so handsome!" Usagi and Naru gushed with hearts in their eyes.

Tsubasa facepalmed. However, his eyes narrowed at the amount of strange power he felt.

Suddenly, the man jumped and flipped over the fence before landing with grace.

"Hey, don't enter the court without permission!" One of the tennis players exclaimed.

The man turned to Rui. "Use your weight more when you hit the ball!"

"What?" Rui muttered.

Now everyone looked at him in confusion. However, Tsubasa felt something off from that guy.

The man walked out to the other player, causing the girl to blush.

"Racket, please?" he asked.

"H-Here..." she shyly said as she gave him her racket before stepping off the court.

The man prepared himself. "Okay, try now!"

Rui narrowed her eyes as she served with greater strength. The ball was more faster than her usual hits. The businessman, using full force, swung at the ball really hard.

 _'Something's wrong...'_ Tsubasa thought as he felt some sort of dark presence when the man delivered that swing.

The ball had hit Rui's hand, causing her to gasp in pain as she let go of the racket. The crowd gasped in shock, but Naru looked more distraught.

"Rui nee-san!" Naru exclaimed as Rui cradled her damaged hand.

"A fly could land on a serve like that," the man said as he began to approach her.

"Who are you?" Rui asked, feeling slightly angered that this man had the gall to attempt an injury like that.

"Masato Sanjoin, just an eccentric coach," he introduced himself.

Rui looked at him, unsure of what to say as she got up. "I-I'm sorry."

Masato reached out to grab Rui's racket. However, Tsubasa felt rather alarmed that the presence of dark energy began to grow.

"Just think of putting your weight behind the ball," the coach said as he handed her back the racket.

"O-okay," Rui said as she took it back.

When she held onto it, her eyes began to look dull and lifeless.

"Someone come receive her serve!" Masato called out.

"Me, me! I'll do it!" one of the tennis members said as he got on the court.

"When did he get in there?!"

 _'That's what I was wondering,'_ Tsubasa thought, bemused.

"Saionji-senpai, I'm ready anytime you are!" the tennis player exclaimed in enthusiasm.

Rui said nothing as she delivered a rather strong and vicious serve. The ball had slammed right into the poor boy's chest as it ricochet right deep into the ground.

"Amazing!" Everyone exclaimed, but Tsubasa was still on guard.

The life went back into Rui's eyes as she gasped at such capability she had. "Thank you so much..."

When she turned around, Masato was gone, as if he was never there.

Later on, Rui had obliterated the court, causing her fellow male team members to cower in fear.

She giggled. "It feels good."

"She's so cool!" Usagi said in awe.

"Something's not right with Rui..." Naru muttered. She was never this aggressive in a match before.

Tsubasa's eyes were narrowed. A dark presence was less stronger, but it was still there. He should come back to the court tomorrow. Something told him that things were going to get worse.

* * *

He wished he was wrong.

Rui had completely obliterated the girls of the tennis team as her cold eyes looked ready to kill. Even worse is that she stepped on her opponent's broken racket to add salt in the wound.

"Saionji-sensei..." one of the members muttered as they looked distraught at how their idol had become more vicious.

"What's the matter? If it's about the racket, I already gave you another one," Rui said with a cruel smirk. "Let's keep going,"

"R-Right..."

Naru watched on in worry as she saw her big sister figure change right in front of her eyes. What was happening to her?

"You're worried, aren't you?" Tsubasa asked.

She looked at him and sighed. "Since we were kids, she's always had good sportsmanship with the others. Now, it's like she's become someone else."

He looked up in the sky. "Try talk to Usagi about it. She's your best friend, right?"

Naru looked at him. "She is. Thanks for the advice."

"No worries," Tsubasa waved it off. "Sorry I'm not much help here."

She shook her head. "It's alright. You're more level-headed than Umino is."

That elicited a chuckle out from both of them. That was pretty funny.

* * *

Tsubasa was cycling through the streets as he had to stay back and clean up the classroom. Of course, he had volunteered since he had nothing else to do.

 **BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!**

He stopped his bike to a halt as he took out the Shadow Helmet from his sports bag.

"What's happening?" he asked as he looked through his visor.

A tennis court? He saw Naru and Usagi confronting Rui there. Suddenly, he saw Rui swing her racket as she caused a windstorm! He saw a demonic figure right behind Rui as the tennis player fell unconscious.

He had to get there!

Putting his helmet on...

 **"KUROGANE, YATTE YARUZE!"**

With those words, he transformed into Tenebrae! Metal plates formed around his body and a scarf sprouted out from underneath his helmet.

* * *

Tesuni had merged from the tennis girl's racket as enough energy was gathered. Now that it was complete, she could return to Master Nephrite with a successful mission.

"A monster can never be an ace!"

"Hm?" Tesuni looked around to see the source of the voice.

Sailor Moon pointed at the youma. "Abusing tennis for evil deeds...I bet even Navratilova is crying now! For love and justice, Pretty Sailor Senshi...Sailor Moon!"

She did her signature pose. "In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

"Hmph, impudent girl!" Tesuni growled as she summoned a demonic tennis racket.

"Ack!" Sailor Moon took a step back.

With a swing, Tesuni had shot a dark energy ball. Moon cried out in dismay as she was being chased by the ball. Unfortunately, she was caught by the ball and was stuck rolling on the court. The ball materialized into an actual tennis ball.

"What is this?!" Usagi exclaimed. "This is so sad!"

Tesuni chuckled as she floated 'Tennis Moon' up high into the air before throwing her back down on the court as the poor heroine bounced around.

"I should've come here with everybody!" Moon cried out.

The youma laughed as she mocked her. "You look good out there!"

Sailor Moon was all over the place, no thanks to her tennis body. Tesuni's control over the ball made things worse.

"TAA!"

All of the sudden, Tesuni had been kicked from out of nowhere, courtesy of a familiar armored man.

"Who's there?!" the youma yelled as she saw Tenebrae getting up.

"DYAH!" he roared as he got into a battle stance.

"Tenebrae!" Sailor Moon exclaimed in joy. Help had arrived!

"If you interfere with me, you'll end up like her!" Tesuni warned.

 **BOOM!**

His reply was an energy blast at her.

"Urgh," she growled in pain before preparing a big swing. "Take this!"

Tenebrae formed an energy shield as he blocked the shot. Tesuni gasped in shock as the armored man charged towards her before grabbing her by the neck to drag her head to the ground.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Sailor Moon exclaimed as she clapped. Suddenly, her tennis ball disappeared and she was back to normal!

Suddenly, a masked gentleman had landed gracefully right beside the odango heroine. She turned to see...

"Tuxedo Mask!" she gushed.

"And who are you?!" Tesuni exclaimed in anger as she got up.

"The one who'll bring your downfall!" Tuxedo Mask answered defiantly. He turned to Sailor Moon. "Be on your guard."

"Right!" she exclaimed as she got into a battle stance.

 _'Still, I never thought that I would fight alongside him,'_ she thought in excitement.

"Take this then!" Tesuni yelled as she served a fireball at them.

"Look out!" Tuxedo Mask carried Sailor Moon before jumping out of the way before the fireball landed with a huge explosion.

Sailor Moon blushed as her rescuer carried her. Meanwhile, Tenebrae had grabbed a hold of Tesuni and pushed her back. However, the youma used her racket and whacked him like a club. The impact had forced him to his knees as she picked him up before she delivered another whack at his chest. He landed on the ground with a hard thud.

 **BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!**

He was succumbing to a huge amount of damage.

"Game, set and match," Tesuni said as she prepared to finish him off with a fireball.

However, she was suddenly knocked back by Tuxedo Mask, who had extended his cane to hit the youma. He landed and gently placed Sailor Moon down before helping Tenebrae up.

"We'll finish her together!" Tuxedo Mask declared.

"Right!" Sailor Moon exclaimed while Tenebrae nodded.

Tuxedo Mask took out a rose and shot it right at Tesuni's face.

"Now!" However, he felt himself weakening.

"Tuxedo Mask, are you alright?!" Sailor Moon exclaimed while Tenebrae prepared the Disembering Halo.

"Don't worry about me! Finish her off!"

She looked reluctant, but renewed her resolve. "Right!"

She took of her tiara and threw it at Tesuni. "Moon Tiara Action!"

"SHA!" Tenebrae yelled as he threw an energy disc.

The youma screamed in pain as the projectiles impacted against her before being disintegrated. However unlike the other monsters, who were turned to dust, she had turned into shadow.

Rui had begun to stir as soon the youma was gone.

Moon turned around to see Tuxedo Mask, but he was gone!

"I wonder if he'll be alright?" she wondered in worry. Tuxedo Mask looked like he was in pain.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see that it was Tenebrae. Despite not being able to see his emotions, his hand felt calm and reassuring. However, he seemed to share her thought as they wondered what was going on with the masked gentleman.

* * *

The next day, Naru, Usagi and Tsubasa were watching Rui play tennis.

"Rui said she doesn't remember anything she did," Naru said.

"At least she's doing fine now, so it's good right?" Usagi replied.

"Well, that's true," Naru muttered.

Rui ran up to them while taking a few breaths. "Naru-chan, do you wanna play a little?"

Naru's face began to light up in joy. "Sure, I guess if it's just a little. Just go easy on me."

"Now I can't do that," Rui teased.

Both childhood friends smiled as they went back on the court. Usagi sighed as she was back in her fantasy.

"I'll be it'd be fun to play tennis with Tuxedo Mask," she gushed as a blush adorned her cheeks.

 **SMACK!**

Unfortunately, a tennis ball had smashed right into her face, causing Tsubasa to wince from the hit. As the ball dropped, Usagi began to fall unconscious.

"Sorry, Usagi!" Naru called out. "Please wake up!"

Tsubasa sighed as he carried her up bridal style. "I'll get her to the infirmary."

Still, how did Rui's racket get a youma to pop up? It looked like an ordinary racket. However, it seemed that her personality started to change when that man Masato helped pick it up for her. Unless...

Could they be facing a new enemy?

Tsubasa shook his head. Things were going to get complicated from now on.

* * *

 **A/N: And so begins Nephrite's mission. One guest had pointed out that Tenebrae uses attacks from Ultraman. And they would be right, considering that I intended a Tokusatsu hero finish off opponents, Magical Girl style. When I mean that, I meant the use of magic attacks. That's not to say that Ultraman is like that. In fact, I wanted a hero that is more forward in fighting with a no-holds barred beatdown.**

 **As for his appearance, you guys have given me quite some ideas that I might want to surprise you guys. Though it might be a slow process, I'm gonna be persevering.**

 **Okay, now fun question. For each character in Sailor Moon, which would you think would suit as their battle themes? It can be any kind of song. From other anime to video games, it's all good. Do you think I should insert battle themes into the story just for fun?**


	10. Ep 10: Capture the Photo, Heroic Muse

**(Opening)**

The scene opens with the night sky as Tenebrae flies up before forming an energy shield. A fireball lands on him.

 **BOOM!**

Within the smoke and debris, a circle of energy stood out. As it cleared out, Tenebrae was forming the Disembering Halo before he threw it.

"HEAH!"

 _ **(From the Aqueous Star with Love by Hiroko Moriguchi)**_

Everything froze as the title appeared in the front.

 **'Sailor Moon the Shadow of Justice'**

Everything unfreezes as Tenebrae gets into a stance as he faces a horde of dark forces.

 ** _"Aoku nemuru mizu no hoshi ni sotto,"_** The next scene shows Tsubasa walking through an empty landscape where he was surrounded by the sea of stars. He stops and looks up.

 _ **"Kuchizuke shite inochi no hi wo tomosu hito yo,"** _ It transitions to Usagi standing by a balcony, looking up to see the moon shining bright in the sky as the wind blows.

 ** _"Toki to iu kin'iro no sazanami wa,"_** Tuxedo Mask is holding a rose as he looks by the right. Right behind him is Usagi, who is looking towards the left. Both Tuxedo Mask's cape and Usagi's odango twintails are flowing in the wind.

 ** _"Aozora no kuchibiru ni umareta toiki ne,"_** Queen Beryl comes into view as she prepares to lead the charge of youma, the Shitennou right behind her.

 _ **"Kokoro ni uzumoreta yasashisa no hoshitachi ga honou age yobiau,"** _ The Inner Senshi are shown one by one. From Ami, Rei, Makoto and Minako, they take out their transformation pens and turn into the Sailor Senshi of Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Venus respectively.

 ** _"Namima sasurau nampasen no you ni,"_** A tiara forms over Usagi's forehead as she transforms into Sailor Moon as she and the other senshi go right into the battle.

 ** _"Mou nakanaide ima anata wo sagashite iru hito ga iru kara,"_** A lady in silver is floating within the stars as she tries to catch something. With a smile, she fades away. Tsubasa comes into view as he gives a thumbs up, before he is transitioned into Tenebrae.

 ** _"Omae ni aitai yo to,"_** Tenebrae flies off into the distance, right behind the Earth's surface. Following him are streaks of pink, blue, red, green and orange. As they disappear, a bright light burst right from behind the Earth's surface as a cluster of stars are spread right out into the galaxy.

* * *

It was lunch time as Usagi and Tsubasa were eating in the classroom.

"Itadakimasu!" Usagi exclaimed as she opened up her bento.

"Thanks for eating with me, Usagi," Tsubasa said as he bit into his sandwich. "I usually eat by the roof."

"No worries!" she said cheerfully as she placed a rice ball in her mouth with her chopstick. "Eating with someone feels better!"

He smiled. It really does feel good. He always ate alone before he got to know Usagi.

"Wow, they're so pretty! These are wonderful photographs!"

Both of them turned to Naru's desk as she was looking through a collection of pictures along with some of her other classmates.

"Wow, this is amazing," she commented. "These pictures were taken by a junior high student!"

"I can't believe that a junior high student received the highest honour in Japanese Pictures."

"He must be a genius!"

"The young and talented photographer, Kijin Shinokawa-" Naru was cut off by Usagi.

"What?! No way! He goes to Gohongi Number 1 Junior High School?!" the odango girl exclaimed in amazement.

* * *

Ami was in her classroom, busy solving various calculations. Considering that Usagi and Tsubasa were in another classroom, there wasn't anything to do. Still, it feels rather quiet in her part. She wanted to join them for lunch, but she didn't want to be an inconvenience. Sometimes she wished Rei was here.

"X minus Y time pi R squared..." Ami muttered as she wrote down in her notebook.

"Ami-chan! I've got some big news!"

The voice of Usagi had echoed as she ran up to the genius with Tsubasa in tow.

"Look at this boy!" she exclaimed as she held up a magazine and pointed a picture. "He's a student at a school near to T.A. School for Girls that Rei goes to!"

"I know that,"Ami said, unsurprised.

"This is no time to act calm! We have a famous person in the area!" Usagi cried out. "Come on, let's go get his autograph!"

"I have cram school to go to after school," Ami said.

"Sheesh, Ami! All you do is study!" Usagi complained. "You're wasting your precious youth!"

 _'Better than trying to find one guy,'_ Tsubasa thought.

"Studying hard. That's what my precious youth is about," Ami said with a confident smile.

"Ugh, this is pointless," Usagi muttered as she went to find the photographer.

Tsubasa shrugged. Everyone's got their own way in spending time in their youth. He noticed the equations on Ami's notebook.

"Hey, Ami?" he said.

"Yes?" she asked.

"I was wondering if you could help tutor me with some math problems I'm having trouble with?" Tsubasa asked.

* * *

Kijin Shinokawa was a soft-spoken boy who had enjoyed taking photographs since he was younger. And it was all thanks to his father's polaroid camera. Right now, he was standing by the cliffside, trying to get a good shot of the sunset.

"The evening light changes quickly..." he observed before preparing a shot. "Now's my chance!"

 **CRACK!**

Unfortunately, the rocks below his feet broke away as Kijin slipped off the cliff.

"WHOA!" he yelled out before a strong arm grabbed a hold of him. He looked up to see who his savior was.

It was a man with wavy, maroon hair.

"Be careful," he said.

"Yes, thank you," Kijin said as he was pulled back up on the surface.

As the older man went to help grab the camera, he began to transfer dark energy to the camera until the mark appeared on the lens. Afterwards, he carried it up and handed it to Kijin.

"I'm a huge fan of yours," he told him. "I hope you keep up the good work."

"O-Okay..." Kijin muttered as the man left.

* * *

"The next model could be you," Usagi read into the magazine. "You could be the next model to be photographed by the talented photographer, Kijin Shinokawa."

She had stars in her eyes. "Oh, I'd love to be photographed!" Usagi had many dreams and aspirations she wanted to achieve. However, each of them had ended in failure due to her lack of effort. She had thought that modelling would lack effort.

Oh, how wrong she was.

Luna walked right up to her from behind with some sort of device in her mouth. "Hey, Usagi. We got a new communication device!"

"I'm going to become a model!" the odango girl declared, not hearing the cat.

Nevertheless, the cat continued. "I already gave Ami and Rei theirs."

"Then I'm gonna call Ami and tell her!" Usagi declared in excitement as she grabbed the communicator, Luna sighing in exasperation.

Pressing a button, she saw Ami's face on the screen.

"What is it, Usagi?" Ami asked from the other line.

"Guess what, Ami? I'm thinking of becoming a model," Usagi told her genius friend.

Ami frowned and chided. "Usagi, you shouldn't use the communication device like this!" She shook her head. "Anyway, I'm in the middle of a math problem now."

With that, she hung up. "Hmm...maybe I'll tell Rei!"

However, she had second thoughts about it as she remembered what the miko said.

 _"If you're not interested in photography, don't make a fuss just because a famous photographer is in the area!"_

"Ugh, she's going to make fun of me," she muttered. "I just know it! Eh, I'll forget it."

She would call Naru and Tsubasa, but Naru must be assisting her mother's store and Tsubasa doesn't seem to pick up his telephone.

* * *

Ami left her bedroom and returned to the living room. Honestly, she was pleased that the communication device works well but couldn't Usagi call her at a better time? She had to speak to her in her bedroom since she could allow her guest to see her device.

"Sorry about that," Ami said as she sat by the coffee table. "Someone called."

"That's fine," Tsubasa replied. The bluenette agreed to tutor him on math since he was falling behind. He had nothing else going on and this was a good time to improve himself.

"Alright, how about we start off with some basic algebra?" Ami offered as she opened up the textbook.

During their session, Tsubasa would ask some questions about some of the problems he was facing. When she showed him the methods, he was actually doing well. Sure, not all of them were correct, but he actually managed to put effort into these answers.

When she checked his answers, Tsubasa had gotten 3/4 of the page correct!

"Tsubasa, how much did you get on your last math test?" Ami asked.

"34%"

Ami's eyes slightly bugged out. How could someone with that low marks get most of these questions correct?!

"How did you score that low? I checked these questions in the textbook and you should be able to pass!" Ami questioned, still baffled at Tsubasa's modicum of intellect.

He scratched his head with a sheepish smile. "I haven't really had the time to study."

Never had the time to study?! "You need to study! What would your parents say?!"

Oh, if only she knew.

Tsubasa gave a small smile, yet it was slightly pained. "I really don't know."

Ami blinked. What kind of parents did he have?

He looked at the clock. "I better go now."

She noticed how late it was getting. "Oh, dear. I hope your parents aren't upset."

Tsubasa shook his head. "It's fine. They'll understand. I'll see you in school."

"Tsubasa-kun."

He turned around and saw that Ami had a look of concern.

"If you have any subjects that you're struggling in, I'd be glad to help you."

Tsubasa stared briefly before his smile became more happier, giving a thumbs up before he left.

Ami was slightly startled. There was that thumbs-up gesture that looked so familiar. It was almost like how a certain black-armored hero did it. She needed to find a way to collect data to see if what she thinks is really true.

* * *

"Cheer up, Usagi-chan!" Motoki said. Usagi looked so downtrodden. Why did that little brat Shingo and mom say that she wouldn't cut it as a model because she wasn't smart? She didn't need to be smart to be a model!

Did she?

"You should never give up before you even start," Motoki continued. Usagi and Luna were in the Game Center Crown as Usagi needed to confide to someone. "The most important thing is to challenge yourself!"

Usagi brightened up. "You're the only one who supports me, Motoki-oniisan."

"Motoki is right," Mamoru said as he was playing through one of the arcade machines. "Well, you'll probably fail anyway."

He took off his sunglasses and looked at them. "But no matter the outcome, the important thing is to participate."

"I didn't ask for your opinion!" Usagi exclaimed, annoyed that her nemesis was still here.

He placed his shades into his breastpocket. "Lately, both genders have started to get the wrong idea. They assume that they've become beautiful once they pretty themselves up. A girl's beauty isn't limited to her looks."

"T-Then what else counts?!" Usagi challenged as she stood up and placed her arms on her hips.

"It's what's inside that counts," he answered. "A kind heart and the guts to carry out what she thinks is right."

Usagi blinked. "Guts? For a girl?"

He nodded. "Still, you don't seem to have it though."

"Why of course I don't!" Usagi exclaimed.

"What's this I hear about guts?" Tsubasa asked as he entered the building.

"Hey, Tsubasa," Mamoru greeted. "I was just telling the odango atama that she'll fail at being a model."

"Of course I won't!" Usagi defended before she looked at Tsubasa. "I'll be a great model, right Tsubasa-kun?"

Tsubasa blinked. "I think she'll make a great model. In the context of guts, she not only has a beauty, but also the determination to achieve something."

Usagi blushed at the praise, Motoki smiled and nodded in agreement and Mamoru rolled his eyes. Seriously, is Tsubasa really this forward?

"Whatever. This guy just wants to photograph young girls, no matter who they are." Mamoru said. "If that's his approach to photography, this Kijin Shinokawa must be a second..."

He shook his head. "No...he must be a third-rate photographer."

Usagi looked away in a huff. "That's enough! I don't even want to see your face anymore!"

She stuck her tongue out and stormed out.

"Mamoru, she's a young lady. You shouldn't treat her like a little kid," Motoki said.

"I know that," Mamoru replied. "But we always end up fighting every time we talk."

"Oh, I wonder why..." Tsubasa muttered, but Mamoru caught that.

In an instant, Mamoru caught the younger boy in a headlock. "What was that?"

"S-sorry! Uncle!" Tsubasa pleaded as he felt the fire on his head. Motoki just chuckled in good nature.

* * *

The next day, Tsubasa had just finished a round of deliveries. It was quiet these past few days. No youma running about, no crisis and no beeping. It was peaceful, yet strange. On the other hand, he managed to find time to do some activities.

"Tsubasa-kun!"

He turned around to see Usagi running up to him. There was a paper in hand.

"I got in!" she exclaimed in joy.

"You're a model? Congratulations," he said.

She smiled. "This is my first modelling gig and I was hoping if you could accompany me there."

"Feeling nervous?" he guessed.

She shook her head. "Actually, I need someone to support me there."

He smiled. "Don't worry. I'll go with you."

"Great!" she exclaimed. "I'll meet you at the New Japan Hotel! I need to get a swimsuit since it was a requirement."

With that, Usagi was off and Tsubasa shook his head before pedaling off.

* * *

When they arrived at the New Japan Hotel, Usagi and Tsubasa noticed how many people there were in the photo session hall.

"Wow, so many people!" Usagi exclaimed in awe. Tsubasa raised an eyebrow. Maybe Mamoru did have a point. Photographers don't just find anyone that could be a model.

"Art is explosive!"

On top of the stage was Kijin Shinokawa. He had an air of hot-bloodedness around him and confidence exuding him.

 _'Strange,'_ Tsubasa thought. By many accounts, Kijin was a timid boy. With that kind of demeanor, he would've picked a more secluded focus to take photos off.

Then...

Tsubasa felt a dark aura coming from the photographer. Something must've happened to him.

"Everyone, please go to your assigned rooms and wait there!" Kijin instructed. "I don't want to be disturbed while I'm taking pictures, so don't peep! Everyone come in at the appointed time. Got it?!"

"Yes!" All the girls exclaimed.

Tsubasa narrowed his eyes. From a business standpoint, this was to be expected. However with a dark presence, there was only suspicion.

* * *

Tsubasa and Usagi walked through the hallway to find her changing room.

"Do you find all this weird?" Tsubasa asked.

"What do you mean?" Usagi questioned as she tilted her head in curiosity.

"Why would there be that many models for a photography session? At best, there's at least about less than ten models that are needed," Tsubasa said. "Then there's the fact that it was at least a quarter of women of Juuban."

"Oh, Usagi!"

Both of them turned to see Naru and Ms. Haruna right in front of them.

"My, so you were accepted too?" Ms. Haruna asked.

"I can't believe this. Both Naru and Haruna-sensei..." Usagi muttered. Maybe Tsubasa did have a point.

"Tsubasa, what are you doing here?" Naru asked.

"Usagi told me to accompany her," he answered. "She needs as much support as she can get."

"Oh, we're here as well," Naru said. "We'll get through this together!"

Ms. Haruna nodded as Usagi smiled. This wasn't a contest since they were going to get photographed altogether.

* * *

Tsubasa was on his way to the hotel's pool, his sports bag in his hand. He wanted to leave the girls to change as he waited for them. Considering that the photo shoot takes place at the poolside, he could begin his investigation. When he arrived, he noticed that the door was slightly opened. Quietly as he can, Tsubasa took a peek.

 _Well, nothing of the ordinary_ , Tsubasa thought as he watched. The indoor pool was surrounded with mirror walls as the poolside had a set theme of the beach.

However when Kijin pressed the button, a laser shot out from the camera as it hit the models. In a flash of light, they were gone.

 _I knew something was off!_

With that, Tsubasa ran off to find a place to transform. However with a maze like a hotel, it was unpredictable. He needed to hide someplace where nobody can notice him. Fortunately, he wasn't the only one to notice.

* * *

Usagi was already in her swimsuit as she was dolling up for the camera. Her pink one-piece had been eaten by moths, so she had to place tied-up bows to hide the holes.

Luna had jumped by her side. "Usagi, we're in trouble!" she whispered. "All the girls Kijin Shinokawa photographed just disappeared!

"What kind of nonsense is that?" the odango girl hissed.

"I'm not kidding!" Luna insisted. "This must be one of the Dark Kingdom's plots! Please contact Ami and Rei!"

"Oh, shush! I'm busy right now!" With that, she continued to get ready.

"Oh, really? Then I'll tell everyone about your swimsuit," Luna said with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

That got a rise out of Usagi. "O-Okay, I get it!"

"Usagi, what did you get?" Naru asked.

"Oh, just some lip gloss!" Usagi exclaimed as she and Luna tried to act innocent.

Ms. Haruna sighed. "I definitely gained weight. Would Tsubasa notice?"

"I'm pretty sure he wouldn't," Naru answered with a sweatdrop.

Usagi and Luna snuck out with the communicator as she dialed Ami's number. Ami had popped up on the screen.

"Oh, Ami-chan. I'm at the New Japan Hotel for a photo shoot right now. Come see me in my moment of glory!" Usagi said.

"Wrong!" Luna exclaimed in a scolding tone. "Something's about to happen! Come with Rei-chan this instant!"

However, the dressing room door had already opened as Naru and Ms. Haruna left the room.

"Usagi, it's our turn," Naru called out as they both went on.

"I've definitely gained weight!" both of them complained as they hung their heads in a comically depressed manner.

"Okay, let's go!" Usagi exclaimed.

"Hold on a minute!" Luna yelled, but Usagi ignored her as she tried to practice her walk on the way to the pool. In frustration, she leaped at her. "Usagi!"

Luna had nipped a ribbon from Usagi in the tushie before running off in the other direction.

"Ow!" Usagi cried in pain. Thar ribbon was tied properly as she rubbed the pain. Unfortunately, her bow was missing! "Oh, no!"

Luna turned around to see Usagi burning in rage.

"Luna, I'll never forgive you!" the odango girl yelled as she sped at the cat. "Come back here!"

The black cat wasn't just running for the girls's lives, but her's as well. Just a bit more...

"Hey! Stop right there, Luna!" Usagi exclaimed. However, she realized that she was at the pool and noticed the photo shoot going on. "Oh, no. I'm too late."

With a press of a button, Kijin took another "snapshot" as the camera had shot out another blast. In a flash, The girls, especially Naru and Ms. Haruna, were gone.

"They disappeared!" Usagi exclaimed in shock.

"I told you so!" Luna chided.

"This is terrible, Luna! Let's go!" Usagi exclaimed as she went to confront Kijin, who was laughing in his madness. "Kijin-san, what did you do to everybody?"

"Art is self-expression! I don't care who she is!" Kijin answered. "I'm gonna snap pictures of girls! Boom! Boom!"

"You're wrong!" Usagi yelled.

Kijin glared. "What did you say?"

"You don't care who it is, as long as she's a young girl? Anyone who takes photographs with an attitude like that is a third-rate photographer!"

Luna sighed. "She's just repeating what Mamoru said!"

"You're supposed to be a photographer who understands the beauty in this world!" Usagi continued. "Please wake up!"

"Back off!" Kijin yelled as he pushed her away. Usagi's head knocked right into one of the set props.

"Are you alright, Usagi?" Luna asked, worried.

"Mmhmm..." Usagi nodded, still feeling the pain.

"Now transform into Sailor Moon," Luna said.

Standing up, Usagi glared.

 **"Moon Prism Power! Make-up!"**

Soon, Usagi had transformed into Sailor Moon!

"You can't judge how beautiful a girl is by the way we look," Sailor Moon lectured. "You have to look at our hearts and our love of justice!"

"Who are you?!" Kijin demanded.

She began to do her pose. "For love and justice, Pretty Sailor Soldier: Sailor Moon! Monster, I know you've possessed Kijin! Come out now!"

"Oh, you're beautiful!" Kijin roared with excitement as he began to press the button of the camera. Sailor Moon had quickly dodged a projectile.

"You're being controlled by a monster!" Another blast and dodge. "At this rate, all your passionate energy..."

A couple of blasts as Sailor Moon dodges and weaves through the fire. "...will be taken by the monster!"

With a jump...

"Sailor Moon Kick!"

In a flash, she had knocked the camera off his hands as the camera landed in the pool. Kijin was unconscious as Sailor Moon was by his side.

"Hang in there!"

However, a tornado whirlpool had been created from the swimming pool as a wisp of dark energy could be seen. The dark energy was formed and turned into a youma.

"Sailor Moon..." she began as she raised her arm. "I am Cameran, and Kijin's energy will be mine!"

Her hand had an eyeball growing out.

Sailor Moon was slightly mortified, yet she kept her resolve.

"Take this!" Cameran shot a ray beam from her fingertips as Usagi jumped out of the way. Unfortunately, Kijin was caught in the blast and was consumed as a result.

"N-No way!" the heroine muttered.

"Sailor Moon, be careful!" Luna exclaimed, taking cover in one of the set props. "If Cameran takes your picture, you'll be trapped inside the photograph!"

"I don't wanna be trapped!" Sailor Moon cried out in dismay. Another blast as she dodged. The blasts were narrowly avoided as they were fast beams. Unfortunately, Sailor Moon had landed hard on the ground.

"Sailor Moon, watch out!" Luna cried out as the cat leaped right in front of Usagi, before getting caught in the blast.

"Luna!" Sailor Moon cried out in horror. "Where are you?!"

Cameran chuckled. "She's right here."

She took out photos of Luna and Kijin when they were last seen.

"Luna! Kijin-san!" Sailor Moon gasped as she began to shed tears. "You're terrible..."

The camera youma laughed as she enjoyed the heroine's despair. "Sailor Moon, I'll make sure to get you this time! Take my shutter attack!"

"Stop right there!"

The pool doors opened as Sailor Moon felt relief.

"Sailor Mercury! Sailor Mars!"

"Sabão Spray!" Mercury exclaimed as the entire room was fogged.

"Youma, I will seal your evil powers away!" Mars declared.

"Rin, Pyo, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen! Begone, evil spirit!" Mars sent out a paper charm.

"Impertinence!" Cameran blasted the paper charms away. "Such petty tricks will not work on me!"

In a surprise, the mist was gone.

"What's going on?!" Moon exclaimed. When she turned around, Mars and Mercury had disappeared in a flash. "What happened?!"

Cameran smirked as she tossed a pair of photographs to the heroine. They were photos of the missing heroines.

Her face was now filled with despair as she looked at them. "Mercury...Mars..."

The youma chuckled as she aimed at the heroine. "I will get you now."

"DAH!"

In a surprise, Tenebrae had made his appearance by punching right at Cameran!

"Tch...you!" the youma growled as she felt the stinging pain on her cheek.

"Tenebrae!" Sailor Moon gasped in relief.

The black-armored warrior wasted no time in delivering a good beating. The youma tried to aim at him, but her arm was grabbed and thrown over his shoulder. Tenebrae carried her back up to deliver several more punches right on the back before throwing the youma right back on the ground.

"Enough!" Cameran exclaimed as she delivered a blast right at Tenebrae. Fortunately, the scarfman had jumped out of the way as it hit the mirror wall. It bounced off as Sailor Moon noticed it.

 _If the camera captures you, you'll be turned into a picture!_ , she realized.

"Tenebrae!" she called out. He looked at her and nodded. They must've had the same idea. Slowly, he backed right into one of the mirror walls.

"This is the end for you!" Cameran exclaimed as she fired a blast right straight at him. With quick reflexes, Tenebrae rolled out of the way. "What?!"

The blast was deflected and Cameran screamed in horror as she was caught in it. When she was hit, she slowly started to melt as she began to feel weak. "I'm being trapped inside the camera?! I can't disappear!"

"Youma Cameran! I won't forgive you!" Sailor Moon exclaimed as she took off her tiara.

"Moon Tiara Action!"

Cameran roared in pain as the tiara had struck her. In blue flames, she vanished. All the victims caught slowly began to appear as they looked startled as to what just happened.

Sailor Moon fell to her knees in exhaustion. "I've had enough of photo shoots!"

Tenebrae walked up to her and offered a hand to her. She looked up and smiled with a soft tinge of pink on her cheeks.

* * *

The star in Nephrite's observatory had disappeared. Nephrite grit his teeth in annoyance. Foiled again by Sailor Moon and that shadow spawn, Tenebrae.

A giggle was heard right behind him.

"Nephrite, it seems that your plan had failed."

The Shitennou general growled. "Show yourself, Zoicite."

An image of the third general appeared right in front of him.

"I'm sure Queen Beryl would be very happy to hear of your performance," the effeminate general's voice was dripping with sarcasm as he giggled once more.

Nephrite smirked. "What about you? Have you found the legendary Silver Crystal that will awaken our great ruler?"

Zoicite narrowed his eyes as the pot shots were now fired at him.

Nephrite turned his back. "You should properly fulfill your duties rather than worry about others. Countless beings possess energy on this Earth! Countless!"

Zoicite had to disappear before Nephrite goes on about his countless spiel about Earth's energy. Still, Nephrite was on a warpath right now. All because of this one Tenebrae.

 _A powerful individual indeed_ , Zoicite thought. Maybe after he finds the Silver Crystal, he needed to find out about him. The queen had warned to stay away from him. Everyone had a weakness. Tenebrae was no different.

* * *

Usagi was already tired as she immediately went back to bed. She was still dressed in her sundress from today since the physical and emotional exhaustion overtook her. Modelling did not work out for her. She wished it did. If not for that stupid youma...she could only imagine what she would accomplish.

In her dream, Usagi was dressed up like a princess as the paparazzi took pictures of her successful career as a model. However, she noticed a presence right beside her. It was Tenebrae. He offered an arm to her. With a smile on her lips, she took it.

Back in the real world, Usagi slowly began to smile in her sleep. It wasn't goofy or silly. It was a peaceful one.

* * *

 **(Ending)**

 _ **(Natsu no Hana by JUJU)**_

The scene opens with the night sky as Tsubasa walked through a road. The moon had shone right above him.

 _ **"Kimi ga inai to umaku waraenai, i**_ _ **tsu kara ka watashi wa,"**_ Stars began to form around the night sky. _**"Muboubi na hodo ni hikareteita kara konna ni,"**_

 _ **"Arifureta machi de,**_ _ **kakegae no nai omoi o,"**_ An image of Ami and Rei is shown. Ami was holding her book, but she wasn't reading it as her face was filled with sadness. Rei looked solemn as her eyes were shadowed by her bangs.

 _ **"Taisetsu ni shite ikiteiketa nara,**_ _ **mou nan ni mo nozomanai no ni,"**_ Another image is that of Makoto and Minako. Makoto had her eyes closed, but her face was that of sorrow. Minako had a look of heartbreak as her hand was over her chest.

 _ **"Ano sora ni saita natsu no hana, k**_ _ **aze ni mainagara ochiteku**_ A close-up of the lower part of Tsubasa's face is shown by the side, but his lips were in a straight line. A tear slowly drops right down his cheek.

 _ **"Kimi to miteta futari de yume miteta,**_ _ **shunkan ga eien datta**_ The scene is right back out of Tsubasa walking down the road.

 _ **"Kagiriaru kono toki no naka de,**_ _ **kagirinaku kimi dake o ai shite mo**_ An image of Usagi looking up right at the sky. She had a smile, yet it was forlorn and laced with tears down her face did nothing to help matters.

 _ **"Mou mienai yozora ni furisosogu kagayaki,**_ _ **ano hibi ga tatoe you mo naku itoshikute."**_ Tsubasa looks up to see the five senshi right in front of them. Their faces were about to break into tears as they ran to him in an embrace.

* * *

 **A/N: Whew! It took a lot of time, but I managed to finish up a chapter! It seems that Tenebrae had caught Zoicite's attention. I actually had an idea of openings and endings if it were a series. Just something to help the brain juices.**

 **If Tsubasa had a voice actor. Well, since he is the same age as them, he would sound like a guy would. However, I wanted to capture his innocent yet mature and gentle nature. Plus considering the androgynous undertones, it was quite a catch.**

 **Here's who I think would be a suited match:**

 **Japanese (Classic): Mayo Suzukaze, since she managed to catch the calm and gentle nature of Kenshin Himura quite well when it came to crossdressing voices. Especially when it helps when the character has a rather dark origin.**

 **Japanese (Crystal): Ayumu Murase or Kazutomi Yamamoto. Ayumu Murase sounds boyish, but there is quite some deepness in there that could capture the maturity. However, Kazutomi Yamamoto has this voice of innocence that could lift people's spirits up. More evident is his work as Yumoto Hakone in Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE!**

 **English (Classic): Mona Marshall. I honestly have no idea since if there was a character that had an appearance similar to Tsubasa's, they would probably try to write it off or rewrite him as a girl. However, I would think Mona Marshall would be a good fit since she's done crossdressing voices like Wolfram von Bielefelt. Plus, I like her job as the deep-voiced samurai girl, Ran Tsukikage.**

 **English (Crystal): Casey Mongillo. She's quite versatile when it comes to voicing young or old, boy or girl. I can imagine her doing a well-done voice of a young yet mature boy.**

 **Tenebrae's Grunts: Masao Nakasone. In the fashion of Ultraman.**

 **So leave your thoughts.**


	11. Ep 11: Tuxedo Trap, Naru’s First Love

"The stars know everything..." Nephrite reaffirmed to himself as he read through the astronomy. He had a new plan in mind, yet needed to solve the equation. "Leo shines in the southern sky. And the star, Regulus, presides over his strong leg. Show me the weakness of the sailor soldiers, our despised enemies."

A ray of light landed right on his forehead as he began to look through the past battles. Throughout those battles, Sailor Moon would be rescued by Tenebrae and Tuxedo Mask. And in the aftermath, it seems that there were hearts in the heroine's eyes.

When Nephrite opened his eyes, he narrowed them. "I have found Sailor Moon's weakness!"

As he chuckled, a whirl of petals formed right behind him as Zoicite appeared with his arms crossed.

"Nephrite, Queen Beryl is calling for you." Zoicite said.

Nephrite turned and frowned.

* * *

Nephrite stood before Queen Beryl as an audience was gathered.

"Nephrite, it seems that the collection of human energy is not proceeding very well," Queen Beryl said in a neutral tone.

The maroon Shitennou frowned. "The universe was not created overnight."

Beryl flared up in anger. "Do not talk back to me! If you cannot defeat Sailor Moon and the others, you shall be replaced and live with this disgrace!"

The youma gasped as the chatter began. Zoicite was right behind Nephrite, smirking with glee.

"Such a terrible punishment indeed," the effeminate general mocked.

Nephrite turned around to glare at him. "I am one of the Shitennou, Nephrite! I do not need others to order me around! I am already thinking of a way to defeat Sailor Moon and the rest."

Zoicite's smirk was wider. "I remember Jadeite used to say the same thing. I wonder if you can..."

Nephrite shifted his eyes in annoyance before turning to Beryl. "I swear that I will lure Sailor Moon out and kill her without fail."

Queen Beryl chuckled as she placed her hand on her cheek. Out of all the Shitennou, she was rather fond of Nephrite thanks to his charisma and intelligence. Sure he can be overconfident, but it was thankfully backed-up by his analytical mind. "Very well."

Nephrite turned around to face Zoicite. "And I already have a plan."

The throne room had echoed in his laughter.

* * *

Usagi was running back to her home after school was finished. It was a rather busy day. She had to go through those boring subjects and even had to get a stern talking from Haruna-sensei. All of it made her tired. Before she went through the front gate, she noticed a letter that was stuck by the lid. When she took it, she gasped in surprise while her cheeks began to blush.

"It's from Tuxedo Mask!" she exclaimed.

Taking it right inside her house and into her bedroom, she opened it and began to read. Luna was beside her.

"'I love you more than anyone else. Please meet me at the MS Department Store in Shinjuku tomorrow night.'," she read before she gushed and fell over her bed. "Wow! Alright!"

"Why the heck would Tuxedo Mask send you a love letter?" Luna wondered.

Usagi smiled. "You know why! Because..."

She read the letter again before burying her face in it, giggling.

"...he loves me!" she finished.

"But that's not right. How come he knows you're Sailor Moon?" Luna questioned. That was a valid question, indeed.

The odango girl raised her arm in victory. "Love conquers all! The power of love can solve all mysteries. In short, Tuxedo Mask's love is so strong, he saw through my secret!"

Luna raised an eyebrow. "Tuxedo Mask has always helped you, but we still don't know if he's on our side or not. Especially Tenebrae!"

Usagi stopped and widened her eyes as if realization struck to her, her letter falling off her hand.

"Oh, no! What would Tenebrae say? Will he hate me? Will he be heartbroken?! What if I betrayed him? But what about Tuxedo Mask?! What would both of them say?!"

Luna could only sigh at Usagi's self-dilemma.

* * *

The next day at school...

"NO! THAT CAN'T BE TRUE!"

It appeared that all the girls had the same exact love letters. Everyone in class were gathered to talk about it.

"But it is," Naru said as she showed her the letter. "I also got a love letter from someone named Tuxedo Mask."

"Me too."

"So did I."

"Who is Tuxedo Mask?" Naru asked another classmate.

"I have no idea!" all the girls answered in confusion.

Naru looked at the letter that was filled with pink hearts. _'I wish this love letter was from that person.'_

She thought back to that person, Masato Sanjoin. The tennis coach that showed her childhood friend, Rui, pointers in how to be a better player. She wondered if she would see him again soon.

"It's really strange," Umino said as he and Tsubasa were talking. "I mean, everyone got the same love letter at the same time. You don't think it's the same guy, do you?"

"Yeah...that is suspicious," Tsubasa pondered. _'And maybe it's the work of the Dark Kingdom.'_

Ms. Haruna had just arrived in the classroom and slammed the English textbook on the desk to get everyone's attention.

"Everyone, you mustn't get tricked by the prank love letters," she said. "Ladies should always be modest. Do you understand?"

"Yes!" All the girls exclaimed, the boys looking rather puzzled. Usagi looked disappointed.

The teacher smiled as she continued. "That letter may have been sent by somebody vicious to tempt you. Do not go to the MS Department Store in Shinjuku. Do you also understand?"

"Yes!"

"Good!" she finished as she turned around to write on the blackboard. However, her smile turned into a scowl as soon as she faced the board.

 _'This is outrageous! Why didn't I get a love letter, too?!'_

* * *

It was P.E., but Ami was around the corner with Luna as she was holding onto a basketball. The cat had told her about the love letter that was sent to Usagi. Now, it was being sent around to the girls of the school.

"See? Don't you think something's fishy?" Luna wondered.

"That's true," Ami said. "We should probably talk to Rei about this."

* * *

"Hmm? Someone named Tuxedo Mask is sending love letters?" Mamoru muttered while he was playing the crane game at the Game Center Crown. Unfortunately, the toy had slipped. "So close."

"It seems like lots of girls got one," Motoki said as he and Tsubasa watched him play the game. Mamoru moved aside and allowed the pinkette to have a turn.

"I wonder if it's some kind of promotion?" Mamoru wondered.

"Each recipient was rather specific. I doubt that a company would have a demographic towards teenage girls when it comes to the topic of romance." Tsubasa guessed with a scowl as he tried to move the crane around.

The clerk shook his head. "Who knows? Maybe it's a prank that someone's trying to pull."

Tsubasa managed to get a plush doll right through. The doors opened and all three boys turned to see Usagi with a despondent look on her face. She sighed.

"Hi, Usagi-chan!" Motoki greeted.

The odango girl continued to mope.

The trio looked at each other in worry and bemusement.

"What's wrong? You look upset." Motoki asked.

Usagi's answer was a sigh.

"I reckon she's still upset that all the girls in her class also got the exact same love letter," Tsubasa said as he placed the plushie in the plastic bag.

"Oh yeah. From that Tuxedo Mask guy!" Mamoru exclaimed as if he remembered it.

"It's terrible!" Usagi sobbed as she dropped her schoolbag. "How could Tuxedo Mask send love letters to those other girls?"

With that, she began to cry loudly, causing all three boys to almost collapse as if saying "That's it?!"

Tsubasa sighed and walked up to Usagi. "If it makes you feel better, would you like it if I gave you this instead?"

The odango girl looked down and gasped. It was a plushie of Tenebrae! Even came with a mini-scarf!

"You won this for me?!" she exclaimed dramatically.

"Er..." Tsubasa trailed off in confusion. _'Technically, I won this by a stroke of luck!'_

She latched onto him in a bearhug! "Thanks a lot! You're the best!"

"ACK!" the ravenette gagged as he could feel the life flashing from his eyes.

Mamoru and Motoki flinched at the girl's grip. They were glad that they were tall enough not to get choked out.

* * *

"What? You're sick?" Ami said, surprised.

Rei was bedridden. "I caught a cold and a high fever, so I can't go out, even though I have an invitation from Tuxedo Mask." She coughed right under the blanket. "It's just awful."

Ami sighed and smiled as she felt her friend's forehead. "I'll take care of you."

"Thanks, Ami-chan."

* * *

Nephrite was in the department store, browsing through the diamonds through the display cases. He had a neutral look on his face, yet he felt anxious on the inside.

 _'She will come! I'm certain that Sailor Moon is in love with Tuxedo Mask.'_ He began to smirk. _'This is where she'll die.'_

However, he frowned. _'Tenebrae.'_ The armored warrior was Sailor Moon's stronger ally. He was always there to aid those Sailor Senshi and was the one who finished off Jadeite. The thought of one of his comrades made him scowl. _'I have something in store for him.'_

"Oh, Mr. Sanjoin!"

Nephrite turned around to see a brunette girl with a white bow.

"It's me!" She called out before looking down, feeling her face heat up a bit. "Um, well...I'm a member of the Juuban Junior High's tennis club, Naru Osaka."

The man blinked as he recalled a girl similar to her appearance within the crowds at the school tennis court when trying to steal Rui Saionji's energy. He smiled.

"I remember now. Are you out shopping?" Nephrite asked as he walked towards Naru.

"Yeah..." Naru answered meekly before looking at him (or at least trying). "Would you mind if I asked you a question?"

"What is it?"

"You wouldn't happen to be Tuxedo Mask, would you?"

"What?!" He narrowed his eyes before quickly keeping his cool and playing coy. "Why do you ask?"

She looked down at her feet. "Oh, it's nothing. I was just wishing you were. It's just something that crossed my mind."

He felt tension in his body rising. And it was a more alarming one. _'Could she be aware that I'm the one who sent those love letters by using Tuxedo Mask's name? Could...'_

 _'Could this girl be Sailor Moon?!'_

"I'm sorry for asking you a silly question." Naru said as the heat on her cheeks began to rise.

"Naru-chan," Nephrite began.

"Yeah?"

"I think that you're the cutest girl at Juuban Junior High," he said.

Her eyes widened in joy. "What?"

 _'Tell me I heard what I thought he said!'_

"I've been interested in you for a while now. I'd like to see you tonight." Nephrite asked as he began to leave. "See you."

"Tonight?" Naru wondered. "By tonight, does he mean..."

She took out the envelope out of her purse and re-read the letter.

 _'It's really him!'_

* * *

Naru stood by the rooftop of the mall as she looked out towards the view. Her eyes were still sparkling as she remembered those words he said.

 _"You're the cutest girl at Juuban Junior High. I've been interested in you for a while."_

She hugged the letter and blushed.

"Masato Sanjoin-sama..."

* * *

"Why..." Usagi lamented in her bedroom. "Why did Tuxedo Mask send love letters to all those people? I don't get it!"

She stood up in determination. "I'll just have to ask him in person!"

She opened up her closet and began to dress herself nicely.

* * *

Tsubasa looked at his watch as he waited by his bedroom.

"Soon..." he muttered as he held onto to Shadow Helmet.

* * *

The night had arrived as Naru waited at the closed department store. Suddenly to her surprise, the shutters began to rise up and open the store. She slowly walked into the darkness.

"Tuxedo Mask?" she called out. "Tuxedo Mask? Oh, no..."

She wasn't deathly afraid of the dark, but that Morga incident left her a bit shaken.

"Masato Sanjoin-sama, where are you?" Naru called out once more, feeling her legs shake.

"Here!"

In an instant, the lights went up and she looked up the escalator. It was Tuxedo Mask! Naru gasped in excitement.

He took a step and descended towards Naru's position. "Welcome."

"That voice..." she started. "So you are Masato Sanjoin-sama!"

Nephrite pretended to sound shocked. "You can recognize me by my voice?"

"Of course!" Naru replied, her hands clasped together. "Your voice and the way you carry yourself, you're none other than Masato Sanjoin-sama!"

"Do you love Masato Sanjoin that much?" he asked.

"Since I heard what you told me this afternoon, I have become a prisoner of love!" she confessed.

Nephrite's demeanor had shifted to that of hostility as he leaped off the escalator. "Sailor Moon!" He landed and moved his cape. "Reveal yourself! Show me who you really are!"

With a jab at the center of her chest, Naru gasped as she felt her cheeks become redder.

* * *

Usagi walked through the crowded streets as she sighed. "Maybe I should've told Ami and Rei after all."

Suddenly, her communicator beeped as she took it out to see that it was Ami. "Where are you, Usagi-chan?"

The odango girl slapped her forehead. "Sorry, Ami! I'm in Shinjuku."

On the other line, Rei gasped as she quickly sat up.

"Is she going on a date with Tuxedo Mask behind my back?!" she accused before coughing.

* * *

Naru stepped back. "Sanjoin-sama..."

"What's wrong?! Transform into Sailor Moon!" Nephrite demanded.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, feeling flustered yet confused at the same time.

"Are you not Sailor Moon?!" he questioned as he moved his finger to her forehead.

"I love you..." Naru trailed off as she started to feel dizzy.

Nephrite gasped as he felt a huge amount of energy being absorbed. "What tremendous energy!"

"Mr. Sanjoin..." she muttered as she fell unconscious. Nephrite was quick to catch her as he continued to consume the energy.

Usagi had just walked in on time, only to gasp in shock as to what was happening. "Naru-chan!" She snuck out of the scene in order to hide.

"Why is Tuxedo Mask..." the odango girl whispered before peeking out of the corner to witness it. She noticed that Tuxedo Mask's hair was longer and wavier. "That's not Tuxedo Mask!"

She narrowed her eyes. "Naru, wait for me!"

 **"Moon Prism Power! Make-Up!"**

In an instant, she transformed into Sailor Moon!

* * *

Mamoru was on the way back after he picked up some textbooks. All of the sudden, he dropped them as he fell to his knees.

"Ngh..." he felt the same headache as he did from before. "I-It's happening again! My head..."

In a bright flash, he became Tuxedo Mask.

* * *

Nephrite held Naru in his arms, bridal style.

"This girl was not Sailor Moon, but I've obtained an unexpectedly vast amount of energy!" Nephrite declared.

"Release Naru-chan!"

"Hm?" he looked up, only to drop his jaw. "Who are you?!"

 _ **(Sailor Moon's Theme from Sailor Moon Crystal OST)**_

Sailor Moon stood right in front of him as she glared.

"A tuxedo is not fitting for a monster who toys with a girl's love!" she exclaimed.

"You're..." Nephrite muttered, finally coming to the realization that the target was right in front of him.

"For love and justice, Pretty Sailor Senshi...Sailor Moon!" She announced before going into a pose. "In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

"How were you able to tell that I am not Tuxedo Mask?" Nephrite questioned.

"It's the intuition of a girl's love!" Sailor Moon answered. Of course, she wasn't going to tell him to get a hairdresser. It would make him get a better disguise! She ran towards him...

 **"Sailor Moon Kick!"**

Nephrite managed to crouch, but had his top hat knocked off.

"If you want this girl," Nephrite began before throwing Naru's unconscious body at Sailor Moon. "...you can have her!"

The heroine had fortunately caught her in time. "N-Naru-chan!" She laid her best friend down gently.

 _ **(End OST)**_

Nephrite leaped up before throwing his disguise away and right into his Shitennou uniform.

"You're Masato Sanjoin!" Sailor Moon exclaimed.

He took off the mask with an irritated look. "I am Nephrite, one of the Shitennou of the Dark Kingdom!"

"Nephrite?!" Sailor Moon narrowed her eyes.

"Sailor Moon, I became Tuxedo Mask to lure you out," With a motion, everything turned dark as multiple Nephrites began to pop up.

She gasped as Nephrite began to recite the words. "O Regulus, star of Leo, shining in the southern night sky. Grant me your power!"

The Nephrites transformed into stars as the Leo constellation began to brighten up. The stars brought the representation to life, one that of a lion.

 **ROAR!**

"AAAH!" Sailor Moon screamed in terror.

"I'll tear your body to pieces!" Nephrite exclaimed as Regulus materialized.

"No! No!" Sailor Moon cried out as she tried to run away. The lion youma began to chase her like a predator in wild life. Unfortunately, the heroine tripped, causing the the lion to leap right at her.

 **SLASH!**

A rose had hit the lion as it knocked him back.

"Who's there?!" Nephrite exclaimed as he landed. Sailor Moon turned around and gasped.

 _ **(Tuxedo Mask from Sailor Moon Crystal OST)**_

There stood Tuxedo Mask, his foot on the elevator door. From his mouth, he was pissed.

"So, you sent those love letters using my name in order to lure Sailor Moon?" Tuxedo Mask began before scowling. "Unforgivable!"

Sailor Moon stood up as she gushed. "Oh, he's the real one! So gorgeous!"

"Tuxedo Mask..." Nephrite growled.

"TOU!" The heroic gentleman leaped up into the air as he stood right in front of Sailor Moon. "Sailor Moon! Go now!"

"Okay, real Tuxedo Mask!" Sailor Moon replied cheerfully as she ran back.

Nephrite smirked. "Fool! Do you think you can get away from me?!"

Tuxedo Mask spread his cape out as he took his cane out. "Come on!"

 **(End OST)**

Nephrite gave the order. "Sic 'em!"

Regulus roared as it leaped towards Tuxedo Mask.

Sailor Moon turned around as she gasped. "Tuxedo Mask, watch out!" Thinking quickly, she took off her tiara.

 **"Moon Tiara Action!"**

She tossed it at Regulus, but it only knocked back the lion youma as it landed gracefully.

 **ROAR!**

"No way! It's not working like usual!" Sailor Moon muttered in disbelief.

"Sailor Moon! Get to the elevator!" Tuxedo Mask exclaimed as both of them ran towards it. When they turned around to see Regulus running towards them, the lion youma had disappeared in a flash as the doors closed shut.

Nephrite laughed. "You fell for it!"

"No! It's a trap!" Tuxedo Mask exclaimed as he tried to open the elevator door.

"What do you mean?" Sailor Moon asked.

"This elevator will go up to the roof," Nephrite's voice went over the intercom. "What do you suppose will happen when it gets to the top floor?"

"So, what will happen?!" Sailor Moon exclaimed in a challenging tone.

The elevator shook heavily.

"By the law of Earth's gravity, the elevator will fall!" Nephrite answered. "Your bodies will be flattened into pancakes!"

Sailor Moon began to bawl. "I don't wanna be a pancake!"

As the elevator went up, the odango heroine turned to Tuxedo Mask. "Tuxedo Ma-"

She stopped and blushed, trying to restrain herself.

"We have to do something," Tuxedo Mask said.

 _'What's going on? My life is in danger, but my heart is pounding like crazy.'_

"Sailor Moon."

 _'A k-kiss?'_

Tuxedo Mask turned with a quizzical expression. "What are you doing? We're getting out of here!"

That snapped out of her daydream as she turned to him and pretended (yet failing) that it happened. "Er, right!"

Tuxedo Mask opened the hatch with his cane before climbing up. He grabbed Sailor Moon's hand and helped her up.

"It's the top floor! Jump off!" Tuxedo Mask instructed.

"Right!"

Tuxedo Mask grabbed onto the ledge, but Sailor Moon missed, causing her to almost fall if not for Tuxedo Mask's free hand. The elevator began to plummet with full velocity as it crashed. Sailor Moon was struggling to hold on.

"I can't hold on!" she cried out.

Tuxedo Mask looked down. "Don't give up! We'll get out of here somehow! Until then, we should distract ourselves by talking about something."

"O-okay," Sailor Moon complied. "Let's see...why do you always rescue me?"

"My blood roars and it makes me want to rescue you," Tuxedo Mask answered as he himself was struggling to hold on. Slowly, he was trying to find his footing. "I've secured a foothold! Can you get on my back?"

Slowly, Sailor Moon climbed onto him as she tried not to move erratically that would shake them off. Fortunately, she managed to get there.

"You rescue me because you love me," she realized what she said and blush before trying to backspace. "Oh, I can't believe this! I'm spouting nonsense!"

She began to wonder. "Let's see. Who are you?"

Tuxedo Mask couldn't answer as he tried to get up.

"I think I can guess who you are." After a brief period of silence, she continued. "You're Motoki, aren't you?!" She backspaced, since she might've caused an embarrassing moment. "Oops! I've said something silly again!"

"Sailor Moon."

"Yes?" she asked.

"I can't help but feel that I knew you somehow long, long ago," Tuxedo Mask said. "Something is stirring in the corner of my mind, but I just can't remember it."

Just as he was about to climb up, the platform crumpled and fell into the dark pits of the elevator!

"Ah!" Sailor Moon cried out. "We're gonna fall!"

"Calm down!" Tuxedo Mask soothed, albeit urgently.

"O-okay." Sailor Moon agreed. "Let's see. What's your hobby? Favorite foods? Oh, I'm so stupid! I keep coming up with weird questions! It's just sad!"

She began to wail, which did not help Tuxedo Mask as he could feel his fingers slipping. Fortunately, the elevator doors were opened as they saw their saviors. Two sailor senshi and a cat.

"Tuxedo Mask!" Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars exclaimed as they helped the hero up.

"Sailor Moon, you should never have come here without telling us!" Mercury scolded.

"S-sorry!"

Mars coughed into a surgical mask. "That was close. Thanks to Tenebrae, we managed to rescue you two on time!"

* * *

 _ **(Before that...)**_

Nephrite laughed as he relished in this victory.

"I did it!" He exclaimed as he began to laugh...

 **BOOM!**

...only for it to get cut short by a energy blast.

"AARGH!" Nephrite yelled in pain as he was struck in the chest. Looking up, he saw that it was a familiar armored warrior.

 _ **(Phantom Gentleman Who Never Sleeps by Nash Music Library)**_

"Tenebrae..." he scowled as the scarfman stood in his pose. Regulus appeared once more, looking ready to kill. "Your allies are already dead. Now you're all alone. Eliminate him!"

 **ROAR!**

The lion youma leaped towards Tenebrae who grabbed Regulus by the teeth before tossing it in another direction. The lion stood back up and jumped at him with a claw ready to strike. Tenebrae rolled away and quickly got up to grab Regulus by the headlock. Several punches to the head before he let go, but not before delivering a kick to the maw.

Gathering an amount of energy, he summoned the Disembering Halo and tossed it at Regulus. The beast had only been knocked away by the projectile. Regulus managed to recover and deliver a quick swipe into the arm.

"RAH!" Tenebrae growled as he felt the scratch onto the arm. The lion bit right into the shoulder.

"EGH!" the armored warrior growled as he managed to pull the beast away with full force.

 **BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!**

Nephrite smirked as he could feel the victory at hand. The shadow man wasn't as strong as they thought.

"Tenebrae!"

Both of them turned to see that Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars and Luna had arrived. Nephrite frowned as he quickly escaped through the portal.

Before they could step in, Tenebrae halted them.

"Are you crazy?! You need help!" Mars exclaimed.

Tenebrae shook his head as Regulus was about to leap at him. Fortunately, he grabbed it by the headlock and used one of his free arms to motion them that Sailor Moon is inside the elevator shaft by a couple floors up before pointing at the unconscious Naru.

"But what about you?" Mercury asked in worry.

Tenebrae gave a thumbs-up before tossing Regulus away like a rag doll. Mercury widened her eyes. This was no coincidence!

"Let's go!" Luna exclaimed as she ran up.

"But..." Mercury trailed off.

"He'll be fine! I promise," Mars assured her comrade. After all, she could feel assurance from that armored man himself.

Mercury looked back and saw that Tenebrae was doing well with the beast. She looked back at Mars with a nod as they helped up Naru over Mercury's shoulders before running up to the top floor.

There was a huge distance between the two enemies. Regulus ran and leaped right at Tenebrae. However, it was caught on the armored warrior's shoulders as it was hoisted up.

 _ **"Spinning Hurricane!"**_

Tenebrae tossed the lion youma up in the air before gathering an amount of energy to shoot out the Shadow Stream.

"SHEAH!"

The shot impacted...

 **BOOM!**

Regulus was no more.

 **(End OST)**

Tenebrae knelt down and breathed heavily. He could still feel the wounds from Regulus's attacks.

* * *

Tuxedo Mask, Luna and the Senshi were on the rooftop.

"Thanks for rescuing us." Usagi said, feeling grateful.

"I have a cold, you know," Mars reminded before coughing. "How dare you take that chance to go behind my back and drape yourself all over Tuxedo Mask?! It's not fair!"

"Oh, it wasn't like that!" Moon tried to convince.

"Stop fighting!" Mercury exclaimed.

"Not you too, Mercury! You're going to side with Sailor Moon?!" Mars accused.

"No! I just want to quickly take Naru to thee hospital and see if Tenebrae is fine!" Mercury exclaimed in frustration.

"Tenebrae was here?! Where is he now?" Sailor Moon exclaimed in worry, though a part of her felt scandalized as if she was going behind Tenebrae's back (eventhough nothing was going on.).

A beeping sound could be heard in the distance as everyone looked up into the sky to see a silhouette flying over the moon. They all had relieved smiles as they recognize the flowing shadow of a scarf.

"Tenebrae!" Sailor Moon called out.

The head of the silhouette turned and blinking red could be seen as his arm gave a thumbs-up. This widened everyone's smiles yet it was also Tuxedo Mask's cue to leave.

"Everyone, be good to each other," he whispered softly as he leaped off into the night.

"Oh, please wait!" Sailor Moon called out as she and Mars ran after him. "Tuxedo Mask..."

What they didn't know was that the gentleman himself was hiding right underneath the ledge.

"I don't deal well with girls fighting," he muttered to himself.

* * *

Back in the Dark Kingdom, everyone was gathered in the throne room so that Queen Beryl could evaluate Nephrite's performance.

"Queen Beryl, Nephrite boasted that he would defeat Sailor Moon," Zoicite began. "But in spite of it, he was not able to kill her. Not only that, his strongest youma, Regulus, was also defeated by the shadow man himself. I suggest that you demote him and leave the plans to me."

Nephrite grit his teeth when he realized that Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask were rescued. Not only that, Regulus, who happens to match Tenebrae in power, had been destroyed.

Fortunately, Queen Beryl looked pleased. "The energy that Nephrite brought back has enormous power. In light of that, I will not punish him this time."

Zoicite's jaw dropped in disbelief. "N-No way..."

Nephrite's confidence came back as he smiled.

"Besides, I can punish him anytime I want." Her smile turned into a scowl as her hair flared up. "Zoicite, stop worrying about about others and tend to your own business! Hurry up and find the Silver Crystal!"

The effeminate Shitennou almost jumped out of his boots and quickly bowed. "Y-Yes, my queen..."

Nephrite's hidden smirk was wide. It was satisfying to see that smug fool get his just desserts.

Zoicite could feel that smirk. He growled as he felt shame upon him. The Silver Crystal was small, so it could be anywhere at this point! However, that Tenebrae really did a blow on Nephrite's strongest youma.

 _'Hmm, a little research wouldn't hurt,'_ he thought. With a hidden smirk, he disappeared within a petal of cherry blossoms.

* * *

Nephrite was back in his mansion as he read through the stars. "All humans become focused on something at least once in their lives and produce an enormous amount of energy. That girl, Naru...the powerful energy she produced was unbelievable."

He stared at the image of Naru Osaka. "It seems that she is enamored by my disguise as Masato Sanjoin."

Nephrite smirked. "What a foolish girl!"

The mansion was echoed by his laughter.

* * *

Ami was walking to school as it was another ordinary day. She couldn't help but worry what happened to Tenebrae. If she had been there sooner, then he wouldn't have been hurt badly. The beeping sound on his helmet was an indicator as to how damaged he was.

Just as she looked up, she noticed that Tsubasa was riding through his bicycle once more. However, upon closer look, her eyes widened slightly. There were bandages on his arm! Not only that, there were also bandages around his neck and under his uniform!

"Good morning, Ami!" Tsubasa called out.

"Tsubasa!" the genius called out as she walked up to him. "Where did you get those?"

"These?" he repeated as he showed his arm. "Bicycle accident. Almost ran into someone and fell over."

Ami would've believed it, if it weren't for how bandaged he was. A bicycle accident would mean a skid mark on one part when he lands via impact. However, he was heavily bandaged in two separate areas!

Usagi happened to arrive and notice her friends. "Good morning, Ami-chan! Tsubasa-kun!" She noticed the bandages on Tsubasa's body. "Oh my gosh, what happened to you?!"

"Bicycle accident," he quickly answered.

She sighed and tsked. "I'm not surprised. You really need to be careful! Remember the time when you almost bumped into me?"

He chuckled as he got off his bicycle to move on foot. "That was the first time we met."

Usagi giggled at that memory. While the two were talking, Ami was in deep thought at those wounds. A bike accident sounds a little too overboard for two wounds in separate positions. And if she remembered, these were the exact parts where Tenebrae was attacked.

"Ami-chan! Are you coming?" Usagi called out. Blinking, the bluenette quickly hurried by their side. She'll have to wait for her investigation.

* * *

 **A/N: I wanted to include a fight between Tenebrae and Regulus since it gives him something to do. I'm trying to find good episodes for Tsubasa to have relationships develop with the senshi. Anyway, give your thoughts.**


	12. Ep 12: Beach Rest, Ghostly Encounter

It was Friday and Tsubasa was about to leave school after it had ended. The stress from the combination of schoolwork, part-time work and fighting evil had taken a toll on both his physical and mental health. Granted, it wasn't as bad as it sounded, but his battle from Regulas had made him bleed right down. He was glad that no blood was left behind when he deactivated his transformation, but it was still there on his arm and shoulder. Fortunately, the bleeding had stopped and the wound had recovered.

Nephrite has been awfully quiet lately. There haven't been any attacks going on. Naru looked fine, but the person on her mind 24/7 was Masato Sanjoin. So far, he hadn't seen the maroon-haired Shitennou around town, but he was still tense due to how strong the youma became.

Usagi had noticed that Tsubasa looked worse for days. Ever since that bicycle injury, he seemed to be a bit more distant lately. Plus, he was also even more tired. Sure, he didn't have the best grades in class, but when he had declined her offer to have lunch, she grew concerned. Lunch was always delicious when you eat with someone, but not even planning to eat during those times?! Most concerning indeed.

Suddenly, an idea formed in her head. Luna and the others may not like it, but she wanted to help Tsubasa.

"Hey, Tsubasa-kun!" Usagi called out.

"Hm?" he turned around to look at the odango girl. "What's up?"

"I was wondering if you were free tomorrow."

* * *

Rei, Ami and Luna were waiting for the train to arrive. As Sailor Senshi, their plan was to go train at the ocean in order to battle against Nephrite. Sailor Moon had been close to death since that department store incident. If she or any of the other senshi had to go solo at a last minute, they needed to prepare themselves to be stronger.

Ami was reading a book to pass the time while Rei was tapping her foot impatiently. It's no surprise that Usagi was late, but would it kill her to be on time?!

"Hey, guys! Sorry I'm late!"

About time! Just as soon as Rei was about to turn her head and chide her, she noticed a rather familiar pinkette right beside the odango girl. His hair was tied-up and he wore a t-shirt and a pair of shorts and sandals while carrying a sports bag.

"Er, hi," Tsubasa greeted, causing Ami and Luna to look up at the different voice. "Did I come at a bad time?"

Rei's demeanor had quickly turned friendly, albeit a bit forced. "Oh, no! We just weren't expecting you at all!" She turned to Usagi. "Could we talk for a moment?"

The miko dragged the odango girl into a private discussion. "What is he doing here?!" she hissed. "If you didn't know, we're supposed to go to the ocean to train! Just the three of us!"

"I'm sorry, but I wanted to get Tsubasa-kun to relax! He looked so stressed out ever since that bicycle accident!" Usagi protested and pleaded at the same time. That caused Rei to blink.

"If he sees us, he might notice your powers!" Luna whispered.

"Actually, I might have to agree with Usagi-chan on this," Ami said softly, causing Rei and Luna to whip their heads in shock. The resident genius was actually agreeing with the lazy odango?! "We've been going through a lot of stress because of these youma attacks and with our daily lives at stake, what can we do?"

"Surely you can't seriously be considering this?!" the cat argued.

Rei thought about it before sighing. She did have a point. With how dangerous the enemy is becoming, things are going to get difficult soon. Besides, when was the last time she had relaxed? With shrine duties, she had a few instances where she could have fun.

Finally, she sighed. "Fine, he can come too."

Usagi cheered while Luna's jaw dropped in shock. What happened to training?! The odango girl ran up to Tsubasa and smiled. "Looks like there's room for one more!"

The boy blinked in confusion.

* * *

On the train, Usagi was taking the view in from the window, Ami was reading her novel and Luna was napping in Usagi's basket (no pets were allowed on the train). So that left Rei and Tsubasa to chat amongst themselves.

"Sorry to intrude on this trip," Tsubasa said. "Usagi had insisted that I go on this trip with her."

Truth be told, he didn't want to go. He needed to stay and protect the city. However, Usagi was insistent about it. So he had no choice but to accept.

Rei rolled her eyes, but smiled faintly. "Typical Usagi. She's always so insistent about doing things she wants to do."

He chuckled as he had to agree with that. "So how's the shrine been doing?"

"It's peaceful for the most part," she answered. "No crazy disasters or insane monster attacks going on."

"That's good. And your grandfather?"

She smiled. Rei remembered what he said back when they first met during the bus disappearances. "He's still as energetic as ever. Still, he could at least try to tone down his shameless comments whenever we have visitors."

He chuckled. "I would say he's rather...spirited for someone his age."

Rei smirked at his subtle comment. "You'd be surprised. So how about your family?"

Tsubasa's smile faltered a bit, but it was still there. "They're quite...a colorful pair."

She chuckled a bit. "Do tell."

He scratched his head. "Well, it's hard to say since they've been away for quite a while. All I can say is that they're quite an enthusiastic pair."

Rei hummed softly. "It's great that you knew your parents."

"Why's that?" Tsubasa asked.

She shook her head. "Oh, it's nothing."

There was something behind that meaning, but Tsubasa dropped it. "So I heard that you have a thing for Mamoru-san?"

Rei spluttered and blushed. "W-where did you hear that?! I bet Usagi's telling you ridiculous stuff!"

He shook his head. "It's just a guess since she talks about you, though she seems to be rather...abrasive about it."

"Hmph. I don't know why Usagi's always giving Mamoru a hard time." With that, she began to rant, much to Tsubasa's amusement.

* * *

"There!" Usagi declared as they stepped off the train. "We're here!"

Welcome to Kagawa Prefecture. This was the first time they've ever been to Shikoku. They've heard about Kagawa and was told that it had quite an attraction in terms of tourism.

Once the train had left, they were given a really great view of the ocean.

"It's beautiful!" Usagi exclaimed in awe.

"The smell of the ocean is so good," Ami muttered.

"It seems like a nice place," Rei said.

Tsubasa didn't say anything as he was too enthralled by the sights.

"Oh, shoot! I should've brought Naru-chan too!" Usagi pouted in dismay.

"Sorry," Tsubasa muttered.

Usagi waved him off. "Don't worry about it! I'll make it up to her somehow."

She ran out of the station to begin the sights while everyone followed. "I'm so happy!"

"Is the pension you reserved close by?" Ami asked Rei.

"Yes, it looks like it's on the headland up ahead," the miko answered as she looked through the brochure.

"You made a booking?" Tsubasa scratched his head sheepishly. "Maybe I should've..."

Rei placed her hand up to silence him. "Look, it's no big deal. We'll find a way to handle this."

Usagi peered over with a playful look of distrust. "Rei, this pension had better be a nice place."

"Don't worry!" Rei insisted.

"Really?" Usagi gasped in excitement.

Rei read the brochure. "'The blue ocean! And yachts sailing with their white sails unfurled. A European-style pension on the headland with a great view of the sunset. A white private beach is just waiting for you!'."

Usagi was nodding in glee but when she heard 'private beach', she was absolutely ecstatic. She was in a daydream of being surrounded by numerous hot bishonen. Especially if Motoki was her server. The dream went deeper when she imagined Tuxedo Mask windsurfing and Tenebrae playing lifeguard.

"Oh, that would be wonderful!" Usagi exclaimed in joy as hearts were in her eyes. "This is it! Yes, yes! This is youth! Summer vacation!"

Unfortunately, the others were already ahead. She looked around frantically and saw them. "What? Oh, no! Wait for me!"

* * *

It was evening as the group continued to trek through the forest.

"Are we there yet? Are you sure we aren't lost?" Usagi groaned as she began to feel tired.

"You're the one who insisted it was this way!" Rei yelled in annoyance, having to deal with her whining.

Usagi scowled. "Rei-chan, it's your fault for not properly checking things out! Moron!"

"What did you say?!" Rei growled as she was about to go on the warpath.

"Girls, relax. Let's just keep going and see where it takes us," Tsubasa interjected.

The clouds began to cover the sky as the cackle of thunder could be heard and everything was slightly darker.

"This is bad. It looks like it's going to rain!" Rei muttered in worry.

 **CRACKLE!**

Usagi jumped as she covered her ears.

"Let's hurry!" Ami exclaimed as she, Rei, Luna and Tsubasa began to run. However, Usagi was hightailing it.

"I'm scared of lightning!" Usagi cried out as she sprint.

 **CRACKLE!**

When everything flashed, Usagi saw someone in robes. Unfortunately, she thought that it was a ghost.

"YAAAAAAAH!" she screamed in horror as she fell on her tush.

"Usagi!" Tsubasa called out.

"What's the matter?" Ami asked in worry.

The odango girl could only crawl away in fear as they looked up.

"Who's there?!" Rei demanded, feeling alarmed.

Ami blinked as the hooded figure shrank back. It was holding flowers.

"I-I'm sorry," it said, sounding high-pitched.

Everyone was stumped that it was a little girl. Before anyone could do anything, the rain began to pour.

"Oh, no! It's raining!" Usagi exclaimed in dismay.

"Please, this way." the girl pointed before she ran into that direction.

"What choice do we have?" Tsubasa muttered as he began to run after her.

"Let's go!" Ami said as everyone followed.

As they left the forest, they noticed that there was a house on a cliff as they ran up the stony slope.

 **CRACKLE!**

Usagi yelped as she quickened her pace. "I hate this! Lightning is scary!"

However when she saw the house, she stopped in fear. The house looked like a mansion. A haunted mansion. The lightning only deepened her fears.

"It looks creepy," she muttered, beginning to pale.

"What other options do we have?" Tsubasa asked as they finally reached the shade of the house.

There was a sign by the gate.

'Pension Adams'

"This is it! This is the pension I booked!" Rei confirmed.

"Gag! You're kidding me!" Usagi exclaimed in exasperation.

"What?" Rei asked, feeling annoyed at the odango girl's whining.

"It looks spooky," Usagi whimpered.

Ami looked at the girl as she took off her sunhat. "Thank you, you were a great help. We're soaking wet. Are the flowers okay?"

"Oh, yes," the little girl replied.

"I'm glad," Ami said in relief.

"These are really beautiful flowers," Tsubasa remarked as he kneeled down to get a closer look. "Did you grow them?"

The girl shyly nodded as she showed him the flowers. Meanwhile, Rei took the doorknob handle of the front door and knocked it, causing a loud bang on the metal door. Usagi was even more creeped out. Slowly, the door began to open as everyone began to peer in.

"Welcome!" a ghastly woman said.

"Welcome!" a Frankenstein's monster followed.

"Welcome!" a wolfman repeated.

Usagi freaked out and Luna jumped onto Ami's hat in horror. Rei, Ami and Tsubasa were unfazed by their appearances.

 _'Nice theme they have going on here,'_ Tsubasa thought. _'Thought it isn't even Halloween. Must be huge fans.'_

The little girl began to walk inside.

"I'm home," she said.

"Welcome back," the monsters greeted.

Then, they turned back to the group. "Are you the guests with reservations?" the ghost woman asked.

"Yes!" Rei confirmed. "We're from Tokyo and my name is Rei Hino."

"We have been waiting for you," the ghost woman stated.

"Please!" the servers offered.

"Thank you!" Rei replied back as she, Ami and Tsubasa walked in.

"It's nice to meet you," Ami said.

"Service is good so far," Tsubasa commented before turning around. "Hm?"

"Nice to meet you!" Usagi frantically said as she quickly ran in before cowering right behind Rei.

"How long are you gonna make a fuss about this? It's embarrassing!" Rei questioned with an irritated look.

"But..." Usagi weakly muttered.

The girl giggled.

"Sakiko!"

The thunder flashed as an intimidating elder man appeared.

"YAAAAH!" Usagi screamed as she clutched onto Rei.

"You're so noisy!" Rei exclaimed, annoyance rising.

The lights went on as the man glared. "Where were you?! Come here right this minute!"

"Y-Yes, otou-san," the little girl, Sakiko, said in a downtrodden voice.

Ami and Tsubasa frowned.

* * *

Everyone had settled in their rooms as they went to change into something comfortable. Tsubasa settled in a double-sleeved hoodie as it was rather cold because of the rain. Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door and went to open it.

"AAAAAAH!"

Tsubasa's eyes almost popped out when he heard Usagi's scream as he ran out of his room and see what the commotion was about. He was joined by Ami and Rei.

"What's going on?!" Rei asked, alarmed.

"O-Over there..." Usagi stuttered as she was on the ground..

The three turned to see the ghost woman fixing the light.

"Oh, it came on! Sorry for disturbing you. Dinner is ready!" she replied jovially.

The three of them frowned and looked back at Usagi.

"Honestly!" Ami chided.

"Usagi!" Rei scolded.

Tsubasa shook his head.

"B-But her neck snaked out and..." the odango girl tried to explain.

"That's enough!" Rei yelled as she began to chase Usagi around and try strangle her.

"I'm sorry! Help me!" Usagi cried out as she ran for dear life. The chase had caused quite a commotion as shattering could be heard.

From the further side of the mansion, Sakiko watched the discord taking place in curiosity. Her father also joined.

"They're such a raucous bunch," he muttered.

"But they seem like nice people," Sakiko said.

"Sakiko, stay away from those frivolous kids! Understood?!" he sternly ordered.

The girl looked down at her feet with a sad look in her eyes. "Yes, otou-san."

* * *

At dinner, Usagi was scarfing down on her plate while Luna was given some milk to drink. It was a rather peaceful dinner. However, Usagi noticed something in the corner of her eye. A cart was pushed out of the shadows as the Frankenstein's monster had arrived.

"How about a second helping?" he offered.

Usagi yelped in horror before trying to collect herself. "N-No thanks. I'm already full."

He merely tilted his head. Suddenly, the wolfman popped out right behind Usagi, causing her to yelp again.

"How about some dessert?" he asked.

"I don't want any," Usagi whispered hoarsely before moving close to Rei. "Rei-chan, you idiot! Why did you book a pension like this?!"

"Because this place is incredibly cheap!" Rei answered in a definite tone.

Usagi almost collapsed at the cheap answer.

"But the cooking is good and the costumes of the employees here are fun," Ami said.

"Agreed," Tsubasa added. "I can definitely feel the atmosphere."

Usagi sweatdropped at the level-headed friends's answers. Both Frankenstein's monster and the wolfman moved up to Ami.

"Thank you," the monster said.

"Those two are our selling points," the wolfman added.

Suddenly, moans echoed through the house as Usagi and the costumed servers tensed up.

"What was that?!" Usagi hissed in a frightened tone.

"Not again!" both of them exclaimed.

Everyone stood up from their chairs. "I don't like this! It's creepy!" Usagi cried out.

"Is the owner crying?" Rei questioned.

"It is not me!" the ghost woman exclaimed as she popped up from behind Rei and Usagi, looking frightened as well.

Usagi screamed at the surprise as she collapse to the ground, causing the servers to react in horror.

"That was scary!" Usagi yelled.

Rei felt an aura and turned around to notice the sound coming from one of the hallway door. She slammed it right open. "Who's there?!"

A faint image was floating in the air as the echoes were louder. Everyone was horrified while Rei, Ami and Tsubasa looked confrontational. The ghost was moving upwards to where the stairs were directed. In a storm flash, it was gone. The servers were cowering in fear from behind the teen quartet.

"W-what was that?" Usagi asked.

"We didn't see anything!" the ghost woman stuttered, feeling shaken.

"O-of course not. It's just our eyes playing tricks on us!" Usagi tried to agree, along with Luna.

"Could it be a youma?" Ami asked in a quiet tone, hoping that Tsubasa couldn't hear them.

"I don't feel any youma aura," Rei answered. "But I did feel some kind of strong power."

The servers were chattering their teeth as they were extremely terrified of the apparition. Tsubasa narrowed his eyes. This wasn't a dark spirit.

The presence he felt was more vengeful.

* * *

"Good girl. You're a very good girl. You're a very good girl."

Sakiko's eyes looked lifeless as the coin was swinging like a pendulum right in front of her face.

"Sleep. Go to sleep."

Her father focused on moving the coin as he continued. "Good. Good girl. Go to sleep. Sleep. Sleep."

Slowly, Sakiko's eyes began to close as she felt unconsciousness. However, a tear had escaped her eye.

"Good. And now, you'll slowly, very slowly open your eyes. Slowly, very slowly."

* * *

"Woohoo!" Usagi yelled as she jumped in the air in her swimsuit.

It was amazing how it went from rainy yesterday to sunny today. The waves were big to collide with the rocks.

"The blue ocean!" the odango girl cheered.

Rei took out a parasol while Ami enjoyed the breeze. Tsubasa whistled at the scenery as Usagi began to run to the water.

"Wow! It feels great!" Usagi exclaimed as she played around.

"It makes yesterday's commotion seem like it never happened," Tsubasa commented as Luna nodded in agreement.

"I know, it feels so good," Ami said.

"But you know..." Rei muttered as she tied her hair into a side ponytail.

Usagi suddenly looked disappointed. "I know."

"This is definitely a private beach, but..." Rei said.

"If it's because people avoid coming here..." Usagi lamented. "The silhouette of a ship sailing off the coast."

Indeed, there was a ship from afar.

"A flock of seagulls flying."

The pinkette looked up. Indeed, seagulls were soaring across the sky.

"Where are the white yachts? Where are the cool guys?"

She began to pitifully sob.

"Who cares about the ocean?! Who even gives a care about it?!" she screamed out skyward.

Tsubasa winced at the volume. Suddenly, she quickly turned around with a wide smile and a ball in her hands.

"But, I'll have fun anyway!"

Rei and Luna sweatdropped at the unnecessary dramatics.

"She's so happy-go lucky," Rei commented as she was lying under the shade.

Ami was reading one of her books until she realized something. "Oh, that girl Sakiko didn't come out of her room this morning either."

"Now that you mention it..." Rei mused, until she saw what Ami was reading. "Hah?! Ami-chan, you brought your textbooks with you?!"

"Yes."

Usagi facefaulted. Crawling towards Ami, she snatched the book out of her hands.

"Ami-chan! Youth is a priceless thing that you only have once!" Usagi scolded. "Studying is important, but you have to play when it's time to play! I think it's important to create nice memories that way!"

"Usagi-chan..." Ami said.

Tsubasa, Rei and Luna could only look in bewilderment.

"Usagi-chan is actually saying something reasonable," Rei muttered.

"That's Usagi. Always determined to do something and getting it right," Tsubasa remarked.

Ami giggled. "Okay, I understand. Usagi, let's have lots of fun!"

Usagi smiled. "Yeah! That's what I want to hear!"

"I'll serve!" Tsubasa offered with his hand raised.

"Alright!" Usagi tossed the ball to him as they all went into the water.

"You're not going to take your shirt off?" Rei asked.

He shook his head. "I'm comfortable with my shirt on."

Both Rei and Usagi shrugged, but Ami raised an eyebrow. Nevertheless, they were already in the water. Tsubasa tossed the ball in the air.

"And go!" Tsubasa announced.

The girls happily chased after the ball. Usagi and Rei were the nearest to the ball and jumped to get it. Rei won the possession and quickly threw it to Usagi's direction. This startled the odango girl as the ball knocked her over, which caused it to deflect and land in Ami's hands.

"Oh! Here!" Ami tossed it to Usagi, who didn't see it coming and got knocked over. It landed right in Tsubasa's hands from the deflection.

"Go long!" Tsubasa exclaimed as he threw it to Usagi. The unfortunate girl tried to stand up, only to get knocked over by the oncoming ball.

Frustrated, she stood back up and glared at them. "Why are you three so mean?!"

Said culprits could only chuckle in good nature. "Sorry, Usagi! Head's in the game," Tsubasa said.

From atop of a cliff, Sakiko watched the teens having fun. She felt lonely as she held onto the flowers. If only she could join them, but she couldn't. She had to listen to her father.

* * *

At the wolfman's howl, it was technically night time once again (much to his fright). Usagi couldn't shower in peace due to the horrific atmosphere (much to Luna's chagrin).

Rei had set up paper charms on the dining chairs as Tsubasa watched.

"Now, no one will disturb us at dinner!" Rei declared. "Still, that was no youkai. It had a stronger, more tangible power. If it's not youkai, then maybe it's..." she paused.

"...a mononoke?"

Rei contemplated it for a moment. While the average youkai can easily be warded off, mononoke dispel wards easily due to their vengeful aura.

"Let's just do it."

Both teens turned around the corner to see the three servers cowering around a candle in the kitchen.

"I'll go crazy if things like this keep happening everyday," the wolfman muttered.

"We have no choice but to do it," Frankenstein's monster told them.

"I agree, but we can never let those girls find out," the ghost woman said.

Rei frowned. There was something going on.

* * *

Ami wiped her hair with a towel after a nice bath. Inadvertently turning around, she noticed someone outside the window.

"Oh?" Curiosity peaked and Ami looked outside.

It was Sakiko. The little girl was sitting by the cliffside, watching the sea under the stars as she held the flowers. She looked lonely. Ami went outside to talk to the little girl.

"Sakiko-chan," Ami called out.

The little girl blinked and turn to see Ami standing there. "Oh, Ami-san..."

"Oh, my. And I haven't even introduced myself," Ami teased.

Sakiko sighed. "I was watching you here all afternoon. Ladylike Rei, clumsy Usagi, kind Tsubasa and the cat, Luna."

She kicked a pebble off the cliff as it landed on the rocky parts before landing in the sea.

Ami had a frown on her face. "Sakiko-chan, are you lonely?"

The girl frantically shook her head, as if to try denying it.

The bluenette smiled. "Cheer up!" She walked closer to the girl and leveled her head to Sakiko's height. "You remind me of how I was not so long ago because you're all by yourself."

Sakiko looked at her in curiosity, wondering what she meant. Ami-san had friends, didn't she?

"I know! The best thing to do is to become friends with Usagi and Tsubasa!" Ami suggested. "They'll cheer you right up!"

"But I..."

Ami merely smiled. "It's okay!"

A faint smile grew on Sakiko's lips.

"Sakiko!"

It immediately vanished as her father appeared.

"How many times have I told you not to talk to strangers?!" he scolded before dragging Sakiko's hand away.

"Otou-san..." Sakiko gasped, feeling a bit of pain.

"Excuse me..." Ami began, but the man whirled his head around with a glare.

"You and your friends should get out of here quickly!" he warned before he narrowed his eyes. "That is, if you don't want to be in more frightening situations."

"What?" Ami muttered as Sakiko was dragged away.

"Otou-san! Ow! It hurts!" the little girl cried.

Ami was distraught at the action. She wanted to do something, but she couldn't do anything. With someone as intimidating as that man, she couldn't feel strong enough to confront him.

Tsubasa had walked out to find Ami. He saw that she was speaking with Sakiko. Smiling, he went out to join them, only to find that the little girl's father was roughly dragging her daughter back into the house. Frowning, he walked up to Ami.

"Did I miss anything?" he asked.

She shook her head. "He's trying to get her to avoid us. I'm going to see what it is."

"I'm going too," he affirmed. "This place is starting to feel weird and it definitely has something to do with the old man."

* * *

"Otou-san!" Sakiko exclaimed. "Ami-san and her friends are nice people! I was so close to becoming friends with them!"

"Shut up!" he yelled as he bent down. "Sakiko, you have a strong psychic power. Learn to master that power!"

"No, I can't!" she protested.

"Then just let me take care of it," her father said. "Your power has improved quite a bit, thanks to my hypnosis."

He narrowed his eyes. "Or are you saying that you won't listen to your father, your only parent?!"

"Otou-san..."

With that, he took out a coin and began to swing it slowly like a pendulum.

"Now, focus on this coin, Sakiko," he instructed. "Focus your attention on this coin. All those people laughed and said that our psychic powers were fake. Now show them your incredible power! With your psychic powers, you will become a pioneer in the spiritual community."

Peeking from the door, Ami and Tsubasa witnessed this. Ami's frown was deep while Tsubasa's scowl looked bad.

"Sakiko-chan..." Ami whispered.

Tsubasa clenched his fist.

* * *

Usagi whined as she hugged the pillow tightly while walking down the stairs. "Ami-chan! Rei-chan! Tsubasa-kun! Where are you?!"

She began to cry as the dark atmosphere surrounded her. However, she stopped as she heard some mumbling from another room. Peeking through, she flinched when she saw the servers praying to some strange shrine.

"W-What is this?!" Usagi whispered.

Suddenly, the ghost woman popped up from behind. "You saw us."

The odango girl screamed in terror as she ran, causing the monster and wolfman to yell out in panic. Usagi froze and was shaken to the core.

"Stop!"

All three scared recipents jumped at the stern tone of the ghost woman's voice.

"Usagi-chan!"

The screaming trio was even louder at Rei's sudden appearance, thanks to the ghost woman joining in the terror.

Usagi held onto Rei tightly. "Rei-chan, they really are ghosts!"

"It's okay! They're just normal human beings!" Rei assured, albeit feeling annoyed.

The servers frantically nodded.

"B-But!" Usagi cried out before Rei cut her off.

"But right now, there's a tremendous power being brought into existence somewhere in this mansion." she explained.

"What?!" Everyone in the room exclaimed in shock.

Rei closed her eyes. "Something is coming." Her eyes opened as she felt the paper charms tear off.

The dining table began to shake along with the chairs. The candles were lit out as the candelabra fell over, causing everyone to turn their heads. A chair was slammed away from the table before the rest began to fly in the air in circles. The servers began to frantically pray to their faux altar.

* * *

"Now, create the figure of a ghost!" the man ordered. "That should be easy for you by now. Scare all those noisy brats!"

"Stop!"

The old man turned to see Ami and Tsubasa standing right behind them.

"You are..." he began.

The light shattered in the room as Sakiko's eyes opened. However, they were glowing as a manifestation had been extracted from the girl. An image appeared in front of them in that of a vengeful spirit.

"Good, Sakiko! You've done a splendid job!" her father praised as he laughed. "Now, scare all those kids! We'll get back at everyone who called us fakes!"

The spirit cast a hand at the duo as Ami and Tsubasa were being blown away right out on the balcony. The impact had the pinkette knocked unconscious.

"Tsubasa-kun!" Ami cried out in worry.

The old man continued to laugh maniacally. "Good! It's perfect!"

However, the spirit now aimed at him. "What? What's wrong?"

Ami quickly stood up in alarm.

The spirit screeched.

* * *

A chair was flung towards Usagi. She was glad that she dodged, or she would've been sent out of the window.

 **CRASH!**

In an instant, the chairs began to fall. Luna climbed on top of the dining table. "What is this?!"

 **CRASH!**

Usagi, Rei and Luna gasped when they saw Sakiko's father land outside the garden. The spirit began to stalk right behind its prey.

The odango girl screamed in horror as she hid behind Rei while the servers cried out in terror.

"It's here!"

The spirit sent a force right at the old man, causing him to be pushed back.

"Ugh...Sa-Sakiko..." he grunted.

"Rei-chan, you idiot! You just had to book this pension!" Usagi cried out.

"This isn't the time for that right now!" Rei yelled.

Ami had arrived. "Usagi-chan! Rei-chan! Transform now! Help him!"

"What about Tsubasa?!" Rei yelled frantically.

"He's out cold!" Ami exclaimed in distress.

"What?!" Rei growled. She nodded. "Okay!"

"But I don't wanna!" Usagi cried out in protest.

"We're all going to become possessed if we don't do anything!" Rei exclaimed.

"What?! Oh, fine then!" Usagi conceded.

 _ **(Tsuki ni Kawatte Oshioki yo! from Sailor Moon Crystal OST)**_

 **"Moon Prism Power! Make-Up!"**

 **"Mercury Power! Make-Up!"**

 **"Mars Power! Make-Up!"**

"For love and justice, Pretty Sailor Senshi...Sailor Moon!"

"Likewise, Sailor Mercury!"

"Likewise, Sailor Mars!"

"Mean ghost, ruining the vacation of these helpless young kids! In the name of the moon, Sailor Moon will..."

Everyone got into their signature pose.

"Punish you!"

"But I'm still scared!" Moon cried out.

"S-Sakiko, stop! Stop it! Can't you hear me?!" the father called out.

Mercury ran back to where Sakiko was. "Sakiko-chan! Sakiko-chan! Wake up! Sakiko-chan!"

The little girl began to squirm. "I don't want to. I don't want to anymore!"

However, she didn't notice that Tsubasa was missing.

Sailor Moon took off her tiara and tossed it.

 **"Moon Tiara Action!"**

 _ **(End OST)**_

Unfortunately, the tiara went through the apparition.

"No way!" Moon cried out.

The spirit pushed Moon and Mars back.

"Sakiko-chan! Wake up! Please!" Mercury begged as she gently shook the girl.

Slowly, the girl's eyes began to open.

"Sakiko-chan!" Mercury exclaimed in relief.

"Oh, I..." Sakiko muttered.

The spirit pushed back the old man once more as he collapse on the grass.

Mercury and Sakiko gasped as they made it on time.

"Otou-san!" Sakiko cried out.

"Sakiko-chan, can't you erase that ghost somehow?!" Mercury suggested urgently.

"It should have disappeared once I woke up! Why is still still there?!" Sakiko cried out in dismay.

The apparition took on an even more malicious form and lunged at them. Quickly, Mercury grabbed Sakiko and dodged out of the way.

Moon yelled while Mars gasped. "Mercury!"

"Otou-san!" Sakiko went by her father's side.

"Sakiko, run!" he said. "You cannot control that ghost anymore!"

"W-what's going on?!" Moon exclaimed as the spirit was running amok the house.

"Sakiko didn't want to listen to her father anymore and that feeling was magnified, making it uncontrollable!" Mercury explained.

Her father felt shame and guilt for his actions while Sakiko felt her eyes watering.

The spirit let out a howl, causing a force right towards Mercury and the father. The old man was holding onto Sakiko in order to protect her.

Mercury was pushed back to the rest of the Senshi.

"Are you alright?!" Mars asked in worry.

"Run, Sakiko," her father pleaded.

"Otou-san!" Sakiko gasped.

"I'm sorry. I knew you wanted to live like a normal girl, but I..."

"Otou-san!" the girl cried as she hugged her father.

The spirit was about to send another gust of wind...

"CHA!"

...until it felt it being pulled apart by an energy blast. It's scowl grew even worse as it turned towards the source of energy.

"Tenebrae!" Sailor Moon gushed as the senshi sighed in relief.

 _ **(Phantom Gentleman Who Never Sleeps by Nash Music Library)**_

There stood an armored warrior as he stood tall and proud. The scarfman blasted another energy beam, which also phased through the spirit.

"Tenebrae, projectiles won't work!" Mercury exclaimed.

As soon as she said that, the spirit shot out another gust of wind. Tenebrae formed an energy shield and managed to resist the force.

"He's resisting!" Mars exclaimed.

"Go, Tenebrae!" Moon cheered on her crush.

 _ **(End OST)**_

Suddenly, the spirit stopped and began to form a mini-tornado around Tenebrae, causing the armored warrior to dispel his shield and float in the air.

"We've gotta do something!" Moon exclaimed.

"But what? None of our attacks seem to work!" Mars replied in exasperation.

Mercury began to hear sounds coming Tenebrae. On closer inspection, she gasped at his voice.

"GHU...ERK!" It sounded like he was being choked by the wind thanks to the ghost cutting off his oxygen!

"He's suffocating! What do we do?!" Mercury cried out in desperation.

Sakiko watched in horror as someone was going to die while saving her and her father. In a desperate attempt...

"Stop it!"

A huge blast of psychic energy had pushed through the ghost as it tried to resist. However, Sakiko was stronger as she managed to untangle Tenebrae from the ghost tornado. In an instant, the apparition was no more. Sakiko collapsed right into her father's arms.

"Sakiko!" the old man cried out in worry.

"Tenebrae, are you alright?!" Moon cried out as the Senshi helped him up. He nodded and looked at the little girl.

"Otou-san..." Sakiko muttered as she looked at her father.

"Sakiko..." the old man sighed in relief. "Everyone, I just wanted everyone to acknowledge that Sakiko possessed truly strong powers. And though I knew that she hated her powers, I continued training her."

The girl's eyes watered.

"And I used guests who happened to come to this pension to conduct experiments," he confessed.

"T-Then what about those other people?" Moon asked, referring to the servers.

Apparently, they were unconscious from the excitement as Luna sweatdropped.

"They were probably just scared of the ghost and tried to conduct an exorcism," Mars deducted.

"Oh, okay," Moon said sheepishly.

Tenebrae walked towards the father and daughter. Moon and Mars were worried about what he was going to do, but Mercury merely smiled. The armored warrior gently took the old man's hand and placed it on Sakiko's.

"You..." the old man trailed off.

Tenebrae nodded as he stood back up.

"SHIYAH!"

With that, he flew off. The senshi watched him depart. However, they began to realize something.

"What about Tsubasa-kun?" Moon gasped.

"We have to find him!" Mars exclaimed.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the Senshi, Tenebrae had only flew right behind the mansion and into his window to deactivate his transformation. Quickly hiding the helmet back into his bag, he quickly went out of his room and pretended to play dead on the balcony.

"Tsubasa-kun! Tsubasa!"

Usagi, Rei and Ami tried to wake him up, however he was still out of it. Fortunately, he was still breathing and they decided to carry him off to his bedroom. With that, they left the room, but not without Ami looking back one last time before closing the door.

Tsubasa opened one eye and released a breath of relief before going to sleep for real.

* * *

"Here!"

Everyone was playing catch by the beach like yesterday. Rei had caught the ball to start off the game.

"Here!"

The ball smacked right into Usagi. "Ouch!"

Ami had caught the ball.

"Here!"

 **THWACK!**

"Oof!" Usagi again.

Tsubasa had the ball.

"Think fast!"

 **SMACK!**

"Itai!" Usagi cried out before glaring at her friends. "Why do you guys keep picking on me?!"

Rei, Ami and a new addition of Sakiko, who was holding Luna in her arms, giggled lightheartedly as Tsubasa chuckled.

"Sorry! It's in the game!" Tsubasa replied.

Usagi had a playful glare as she had the ball in her hands. "Hey, Sakiko-chan, you laughed at me, didn't you?! Wait!"

By the sand, Sakiko's father was watching his daughter play with her new friends as the severs were chattering amongst themselves.

"Will there really be no more ghosts?" the wolfman asked.

"We're such scaredy cats, we just can't deal with apparitions and ghosts!" the ghost woman mumbled.

"Don't worry. It'll never show up again," the father assured them with a smile on his face that never happened since many years. "Not ever."

And it never did.

* * *

 **A/N: Whoo! This was a tough one to write since there was no youma involved. Still, I hope this counts as development.**


	13. Ep 13: Friend or Foe, The Great Treasure

Traffic was an absolute nightmare for those who owned a vehicle. There was so much honking and angry drivers that were yelling at their windshields.

"Ah, I'm gonna be late again!" Usagi yelled out as she ran for school.

 **FWEET!**

The whistle had halted her running and caught her attention. "Is that a checkpoint?"

Indeed it was as police were checking in with drivers and coordinating the road to move along before checking in.

"Is there something going on today?" the odango girl wondered. Juuban's traffic was not that bad. Sure, there was still traffic, but it's never this jammed!

Never minding that, she turned to see Naru walking past her. "Oh, Naru-chan! Good morning!"

The girl in question stopped, yet didn't turn to look. "Good morning."

Usagi blinked. That was different. "What's wrong? You look kind of down."

"Yeah..." Naru looked at her own feet as she remembered what happened.

* * *

 _"Naru-chan," Masato began._

 _"Yeah?"_

 _"You're the cutest girl at Juuban Junior High," he said._

* * *

 _"Reveal yourself! Show me who you really are!" Masato yelled, dressed as Tuxedo Mask._

* * *

When Naru woke up, she remembered what had happened back at the mall. She couldn't help but feel insecure as to what she did wrong.

'I don't understand. What in the world does Sanjoin-sama think of me?' she thought, feeling melancholy because of her dilemma.

Usagi noticed her best friend's forlorn look and gently latched onto her arm to drag her off. "Naru-chan, we've gotta stay awake or we're going to be late!"

Hey, that rhymed!

* * *

The school bell rang as classes were about to start.

"Hurry, Naru-chan!" Usagi exclaimed as they arrived on time. In an instant, she made it to her seat and let out a deep breath. "Phew! Made it!"

"Morning, Usagi," Tsubasa greeted as he and Umino walked up to her desk.

"Good morning, Tsubasa-kun!" Usagi greeted. Suddenly, a thought appeared. "Hey, how did you get here so fast? I didn't see you on the way!"

The ravenette scratched his head. "I arrived earlier."

The odango girl blinked. "Why on earth would you want to go to school early?" she asked, incredulously.

"Well, I slept early and woke up with a fresh start." Tsubasa answered.

"Hey, Usagi-chan. Didn't you know?" Umino asked as he continued. "The first princess of the Diamond Kingdom is visiting Japan!"

"Diamond Kingdom?" Usagi repeated.

"It's the country that produces the most gems in the world," Umino clarified.

Tsubasa pondered about this foreign country. There was a rumor that the royal family line had sired males for many generations. There was not a single female that was born from the bloodline. The females that were known were married to the royal family. Princess Diamond of the Diamond Kingdom was considered to be the first ever heiress of the throne.

"I heard that they're holding a dinner party tonight at the embassy." Umino said, as Tsubasa went back to reality.

"So, that's why they were doing all those inspections," Usagi wondered.

"Princess Diamond will be inheriting the legendary secret treasure that has been passed down through the Royal Family." Umino continued. "And that secret treasure is apparently going to be introduced to the world for the first time at the dinner party!"

"Secret treasure... I wonder how amazing it could be?" Usagi thought. She tried to come up with something, before her mind was in turmoil. "It's no use! I can't imagine it!"

"The treasure was so secret that because of the world's affairs, it had to be hidden to prevent the proof of inheritance to be stolen." Tsubasa said. "Now that the storm had been calmed, they must've thought that it was finally safe to unveil it from it's century long history."

"Woah! A hundred years that long?!" Usagi exclaimed in shock. Those must be some dark times.

"I'll go look at it and let you know," Naru said, yet there was a gloomy atmosphere surrounding her. In fact, Tsubasa narrowed his eyes as he could be a huge amount of dark aura surrounding the girl.

"Eh?" Usagi muttered as she and Umino look at her.

"My family runs a jewelry shop, remember?" Naru reminded in a monotone. "So, I got a hold of a special invitation to the dinner party."

Usagi jumped from her seat. "Wow! Naru-chan, you're so lucky! I wish I could go, too!" Usagi exclaimed in envy as Umino felt a sweatdrop.

Tsubasa scratched his head and sighed.

* * *

In the Dark Kingdom, every youma had gathered in the throne room as Queen Beryl looked into her crystal ball. She smirked as she heard the news of the Diamond Kingdom's secret treasure.

"The legendary secret treasure of the Diamond Kingdom..." she began. "It could be the legendary Silver Crystal.

Zoicite stood right in front off her majesty, since it was his job to find the relic. "I shall look into it."

"Leave that to me."

In a flame, Nephrite appeared before the audience.

The effeminate general grew angry and went up to his comrade's face. "Nephrite, don't interfere! Searching for the legendary Silver Crystal is my job!"

Nephrite turned his head. "The Earth is under my jurisdiction."

"W-what?!" Zoicite growled, feeling that he was being undermined.

"I will look into it! Please leave it to me!" Nephrite firmly said.

Beryl's smirk grew. "Nephrite, if the Diamond Kingdom's legendary secret treasure turns out to be the Silver Crystal, it will be a pleasant surprise. With the power of the Silver Crystal, we shall revive our great ruler and our Dark Kingdom will dominate the world!"

"T-that can't be..." Zoicite gasped as he could feel the glory slipping through his fingers.

"Nephrite, what is your plan?" Beryl asked.

"I have my way of taking care of business. Just watch." the maroon general said as he disappeared in a flash.

Feeling anger, Zoicite turned to her. "Nephrite has failed every time! Why did you assign him to this?!"

Beryl smirked. "He is in a tough situation. And judging by his urgent request, he is growing desperate now."

* * *

The meeting had disbanded and in another part of the kingdom, Zoicite began to lament his woes. He had found comfort from his beloved as he began to vent.

"And now he's taken my job! What is it about Nephrite that I don't have?!" he yelled out before landing his head on his lover's lap, his eyes beginning to water. "Do you think I'm useless enough to be replaced?"

He felt a hand petting his head in comfort. "Zoicite, the impatient always lose."

He looked up. "But Kunzite..."

Kunzite was a tall man with chiseled features that gave him a handsome and mature look. His long white hair flowed right down and brushed his light tan skin.

"Nephrite can be ousted any time we please. We shall take this opportunity to see just how skilled he is." He chuckled as Zoicite began to smile. However, it had quickly turned into a frown.

"What if he encounters...the shadow warrior?" Zoicite mutters.

Kunzite slowly frowned. That would be a problem.

"We'll find a weakness from him. I assume that you've been researching on our foe?"

Zoicite blinked as he bashfully turned away. "What makes you say that?"

The tall general chuckled softly as he gently turned his lover's head to face him. "Dear, Zoicite. I always knew how to read your schemes."

The effeminate Shitennou could feel his face slowly beginning to heat up as they stared right into each other's eyes.

* * *

"Huh? A princess?" Rei questioned as the Sailor Senshi were gathered right outside the temple.

"Yes. I'm thinking that the princess of the Diamond Kingdom just might be the princess we've been looking for," Luna said.

"No way!" Usagi exclaimed.

Ami shook her head. "We can't completely ignore Luna's intuition. I think there's a need to check into this."

"How?" the odango girl asked. "Princess Diamond is surrounded by lots of bodyguards. And we can't get into the hall that the dinner party's being held at."

"It looks like we'll have to use our brains to find a way around," Rei suggested.

"We can go to an area close to the dinner party tonight. Then, we'll wait for a chance to check whether Princess Diamond really is the princess we've been looking for."

Rei and Luna nod in determination.

"Hey, girls!"

Everyone turned to see Tsubasa walking towards them. They had suggested that the boy buy some snacks in order to discuss about the topic.

"I've bought croquettes," Tsubasa declared as he gave each of them one. Even Luna. "Try it."

Usagi munched on it. "Mmm! This is delicious!"

He smiled. However, he frowned internally as he thought back on Naru's aura. Something was wrong and he needed to find out. However, he sighed as there were other matters he needed to attend to.

* * *

"Usagi, I need you to have a more passionate sense of duty!" Luna lectured the odango girl, who was still ticked off at Rei. Fortunately, it was slightly calmed down as she had taken an extra croquette.

Usagi entered through the front door of her homee. "I'm home!"

"Welcome back!" Usagi's father, Kenji, greeted.

Usagi blinked when she saw her well-dressed father. "What's the occasion?"

Kenji adjusted his bow tie. "I'm going to the Diamond Kingdom embassy."

Usagi's jaw dropped at that. "What?! The dinner party?! No fair! I wanna get in, too!"

"Dad's going there as a magazine reporter. It's work." Kenji said as he began to leave. "Later. I'll tell you everything when I get back."

With that, he was gone. Usagi narrowed her eyes in determination.

"I'm going to get inside, no matter what!" she declared. Suddenly, an idea popped up. "I know!"

Luna settled herself on the couch. "What are you going to do?"

Usagi took out her disguise pen before laughing in victory.

The cat's eyes widened. "Oh, you can't!"

The odango girl raised her pen in the air. "Moon Power! Turn me into a pretty princess!"

Within a flash, she was now dressed up as a princess from the Victorian times. Especially with an umbrella.

"Look at my dress! It's wonderful!" Usagi exclaimed in excitement as she twirled around.

"Honestly, you can't use the transformation pen like it's some kind of toy!" Luna groaned.

Usagi winked as she closed her umbrella. "You're wrong! I've got a mission to do! I did this so that I can find out if Princess Diamond is the princess we've been looking for."

"Really?" Luna questioned, skeptical behind Usagi's intention.

She nodded before playing with her dress.

"Ugh, at least she's on the right track," the cat muttered.

* * *

 _Tuxedo Mask slowly opened his eyes and looked around. In front of his was a castle. A really huge castle that was shrouded in shadow._

 _"Where am I...?" he muttered to himself as he tried to observe his surroundings._

 _"The Silver Crystal..."_

 _He looked up to see a young girl shrouded in silhouette._

 _"Look for the Silver!"_

 _"What is the Silver Crystal?" he asked._

 _Before anything could happen, he felt a breeze._

* * *

The apartment curtains has been blown thanks to the wind coming from out of the window. Mamoru quickly woke up as he felt another headache coming on, sweat was pouring down his head as he tried to regain his senses.

"It's the same dream again..." he said.

* * *

The night of the party had begun as the Diamond Kingdom Embassy had begun. Outside the gate, Tsubasa was standing and waiting. He was fortunate that he could fit in his dad's clothes. A dress shirt complete with matching blazer, pants and necktie. His hair was tied-up as usual underneath the fedora he wore. It seemed that white suited him, which is strange considering his other identity. Then again, he did stand out of the sea of black tuxedos. The guests were walking through, yet they were whispering and looking at him. While they wondered if he was a dude or a lady thanks to his long hair, other questioned what was with the sports bag he was carrying.

Now, what was he doing here, you might ask? How could a guy like him get invited to a huge party like this?

"Tsu-kun!"

He turned to see Mikan Shiratori arriving on time. She looked beautiful in an emerald dress. Then again, she looked amazing anytime since she was an idol. He wondered if it was a natural beauty. Looking a bit closer, there was little to moderate make-up though it was a bit more on the former.

"Mikan-san," he greeted with a small bow. Now people wondered why a famous idol like Mikan would come to the party with some stranger like Tsubasa? How did it even happen?

Well...

* * *

 _Tsubasa waited for the line right outside a truck shop. They were selling croquette! Sure he didn't try it before, but he wondered if it really was good. He never tried it before and he never got the chance. So, he decided to wait for it. Maybe the girls would also like it._

 _Suddenly, he broke out of his thoughts as he felt several gentle taps on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw a rather suspiciously similar face._

 _"Mikan-san?"_

 _It was in fact Mikan, since she was dressed up casually. Her sunglasses and cap also hid her face slightly._

 _"What brings you here?" he asked as he moved a bit to scooch slightly into the line. Mikan took a deep breath._

 _"I needed to ask you a favor," she answered._

 _"A favor?" Tsubasa asked._

 _"Well, there's a party going on tonight and I got an invite," she said. "I got an extra one to bring a friend with me."_

 _"Oh, really?" he muttered, wondering where this was going._

 _"I was wondering if you wanted to come along with me?" she finally offered, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "I know you're not a fan of big crowds, but..."_

 _He held up a hand to stop her. "It's nothing like that, but I was wondering why me? Don't you have anyone else to go with?"_

 _She shook her head with a sad smile. "They have things going on. I was quite hesitant to go since you're with Usagi."_

 _He blinked. She must've still thought that Usagi and him were dating. He shook his head. "That's fine. Usagi and I broke up."_

 _She gasped, genuinely concerned for her kouhai. "Oh, no! What happened?!"_

 _He gently pat her shoulder. "It's nothing bad. The truth was that it was amicable, so it was on both sides."_

 _She blinked. "Really?"_

 _He nodded. They both weren't dating, so Usagi would understand. "Besides, I would like to go with you."_

 _She smiled. "Great! I'm sure you'll find a really nice girl to mingle with there!"_

 _He laughed sheepishly when he shifted his eyes towards the other customers, who were watching the scene with humored looks. The kids that were with their parents had looks of curiousity._

* * *

He sighed as he remembered that. Despite that, he laughed it off in good nature. Walking up to her, he smiled. "You look beautiful, Mikan-san."

A small tint of pink appeared on her face as she smiled. "Thanks. You look good yourself, Tsu-kun."

He shrugged with a smile. "I dress to impress." He offered an arm. "Shall we?"

She placed her arm over it. "Let's."

With that, they were off.

Meanwhile, Usagi had arrived right in front of the gate. She was excited to appear since this was the first time she had ever been to a fancy party.

"So, this is the place for the dinner party," Usagi mused. As she looked around, she noticed a familiar pinkette.

"Is that Tsubasa-kun?" Usagi wondered before shaking her head. She had a job to do. If a bonus, she could ask what Tsubasa was doing.

Getting into character, she began to stroll right through. Unbeknownst to her, she had just walked past Ami and Rei.

"Usagi?!" they muttered in shock. What was she planning?

Tsubasa and Mikan had arrived at the invitation booth. The man by the table had halted them.

"May I see your invitation?" he asked.

Mikan took out two envelopes and gave it to him. The man opened it and checked through.

"It appears to be valid. Carry on," he said as both of them went through.

When it was Usagi's turn, she was stopped by the man.

"Excuse me, your invitation?"

Usagi cleared her throat and began.

"I am the princess of the Ivanovich Kingdom!"

The man blinked as he went through his checklist as she continued on. "What? Ivanovich Kingdom? I thought that they weren't coming due to family matters!"

"Talk about close," Usagi muttered with a sigh of relief.

As she walked into the ballroom, she was marveled at the sight before her. "Wow! A masquerade!"

Indeed, as many of the guests were wearing masquerade masks and waltzing through.

"It's wonderful! Like something from a foreign movie!" Usagi continued to awe.

Everyone looked amazing because of the atmosphere. It felt like a fantasy come to life.

Tsubasa was waltzing with Mikan. However, they seemed to be deviating from the traditional waltz, as they had moved around the area more. Yet, they still managed to look graceful.

Naru Osaka was standing at the corner, dressed up beautifully in a nice dress. Unfortunately, she still retained her gloomy disposition. Mayumi had hoped that bringing her daughter would cheer her up. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to liven her.

"That's Naru Osaka," a voice mused. That man was Nephrite, who was under the mask (both literally and figuratively) of Masato Sanjoin. He chuckled as the source of more energy was right there. "This is perfect."

He began to walk over to Naru. "Excuse me, ojou-sama, would you please dance with me?"

Naru blinked in surprise as the masked man before her gently took her hand.

"It's me. Remember?" he said as he slowly moved his mask up.

She widened her eyes in surprise as she realized who it was. "Sanjoin-sama!"

"Did you come here by yourself?" he asked.

"Y-Yes..." Naru muttered. It was a lie, but she was too entranced by him. Fortunately, she shook her head and regained her senses. "I came here with my mom."

"I never expected you here of all places," Masato said as he pulled her in for a dance. "You've made my day."

Naru gasped. On one hand, she was flattered. On the other hand, she was confused due to his past behavior. "Sanjoin-sama."

They began to dance through the crowd as Naru was slowly begin to smile. As they dance, Naru began to blush as she looked into his eyes through the mask. They were beautiful.

Usagi and Tsubasa watched from afar. Usagi smiled. "Lucky Naru. She's already found a partner."

However, Tsubasa frowned. Something was off with that guy. Anyone could have wavy, maroon hair, but he could feel a dark aura emanating from him. Turning around, he noticed Usagi of all people here! Better go talk to her. Thank goodness Mikan is dancing with someone else.

From nearby, Keiji Tsukino was taking photographs. The editorial is definitely gonna be pleased with this material! As he turned around, there was a girl that looked odd to him.

"She looks just like Usagi," he wondered in bewilderment. "I wonder if Usagi will be as beautiful when she grows up?"

Usagi smiled sheepishly as she turned her head. "Oh, dad. I can't believe that he's taking pictures without realizing who I am."

Unfortunately, she moved back and accidentally bumped into someone. In turn, punch had poured all over her dress.

"Excuse me!" the punch holder apologized.

"Oh, no!" Usagi exclaimed at the mess..

Suddenly, she noticed a hand right in front of her. The odango girl looked to see that it was Tsubasa!

"Let's clean that up, shall we?" he offered.

She nodded as they walked out of the ballroom.

* * *

From the corner outside an entrance, Tuxedo Mask hid as he observed two guards that were positioned with protecting the princess.

 _'If the Diamond Kingdom's secret treasure is the Silver Crystal, and if I can get a hold of it, I will surely find out who I am,'_ he thought.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps and saw two familiar people.

"No way! Mikan invited you?!" Usagi exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes she did. I was even surprised myself," Tsubasa said.

"So lucky!" the odango girl muttered in wonder.

"So, how did you get in here?" he asked.

She blanched and chuckled sheepishly. "Well, it's a long story." However, they stopped as they were at crossroads within this building. "Which way is the bathroom?"

"I think it's that way," Tsubasa guessed on the right, where there were steps. Shrugging, both of them walked.

Tuxedo Mask observed them, only to have a dawn of realization. "In a distant past..."

He remembered that dream from last night. "I feel like I've seen her from before."

* * *

Outside the balcony of the ballroom, Masato and Naru were admiring the view of Juuban. Making the first move, Masato gently grasped her hand and held it up, causing the girl to blush.

 _'Sanjoin-sama is so wonderful,'_ she thought. _'I don't care what happens to me anymore.'_

"You're like a star, shining in the heavens," Masato complimented. Of course, that was a lie. He didn't believe in heaven or hell. That being said, this did not stop him from going on as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Please look at me."

"Alright..." Naru replied as she looked into his eyes. However, she began to get dizzy as his eyes glowed red. He began to absorb the energy out of her as a new youma began to form. The youma entered Naru's body as Masato chuckled evilly.

"Naru Osaka, you are now under my control!" Nephrite declared.

"Yes, master!" the now-possessed Naru said as the Shitennou general smirked.

* * *

Back at the ballroom, Tsubasa and Usagi had managed to clean off the stain on her dress. It took quite a bit of time, but it was fortunately short. When they returned, the dance was still going on as they began to watch. Mikan was still dancing with someone else.

Usagi sighed as she looked down. _'I transformed into a princess, but it's no fun if I'm alone.'_

She heard a throat cleared before she turned to look at Tsubasa.

"I've never waltzed gracefully before. So I was wondering if you could teach me?" Tsubasa asked as he held out a hand to her.

Usagi stared at him in surprise. Was he offering a dance to her? She saw him dance with Mikan just now, yet he's acting like he doesn't know how to dance! Maybe...just maybe...it was a way of asking to her to dance with him since he's so modest!

Slowly, she began to smile as she took his hand as they went to the dance floor.

"Just follow my lead, alright?" Usagi said as they slowly began to waltz. Despite taking it slowly, the atmosphere around them felt like a dream. There was nobody around them to watch. Just him and her.

Usagi felt like her dream had come true. Here she was, dressed up as a princess and a prince was whisking away with her on her feet.

Wait, did she just call Tsubasa a prince?! The thought made her slightly flustered a bit. Then again, despite the same age, there was something about Tsubasa that makes him look...graceful. Stunning, even. With his flowing ebony locks and dark crystal blue eyes, he looked like one of a kind. She was holding onto his hand for the waltz. His ivory skin felt smooth and rather...inviting. Inviting enough to embrace him.

She blushed and mentally shook away the thought. They were only friends! How could she think of such thoughts about him?! She began to notice that all eyes were on them.

 _'Easy, Usagi. Control yourself!'_ she thought to herself. Still, it was a really nice dance.

Suddenly, someone came up from behind Tsubasa and tapped on his shoulder.

"Excuse me, but do you mind if I cut in?"

Both of them turned around to see Tuxedo Mask himself!

 _'Oh, Tuxedo Mask!'_ Usagi thought in delight as the hero that had helped her in battle was here.

Tsubasa smiled and tipped his fedora before allowing the couple to have the dance.

With that, Usagi and Tuxedo Mask began to waltz through the ballroom.

"No way! It can't be! How could this be?" she muttered happily as there was so much to comprehend. "It's like a dream!"

More eyes were on them as they were already surrounded. Like with Tsubasa, it felt like it was only them dancing alone in this peaceful room of music. This time, there was something Usagi felt. A sense of nostalgia waving into her head.

 _'What is this? It feels strange...'_ Usagi thought to herself. _'I feel like I've danced with him before, a long time ago.'_

* * *

Outside the princess's room, Naru wasked right towards the door. However, the guards were in her way.

"Who are you?" One of them questions.

"I am Naru, a friend of Princess Diamond!" the possessed girl answers.

"What did you say?" Both of them were confused at the sudden question. The princess had friends in Japan? They looked at each other and began to discuss what to do in secret.

* * *

Inside, Princess Diamond herself was preparing herself for the announcement. She was a rather plain girl with short brown hair and big glasses that look similar to Umino's.

Despite the big event, she felt despondent as she looked at the mirror.

"Everyone is just interested in the secret treasure," she lamented, biting down on a napkin in nervousness for what's to come. "I only wish I was more beautiful. I know I'm just a throw-in with the treasure."

Suddenly, she heard a knock on her door. Opening the door was one of the guards.

"Ojou-sama, someone calling herself your friend..."

Before he could continue, Naru barged right in with a wave. "I'm Naru! May I come in?"

Dia look elated that someone wanted to meet her for...well, her.

"Oh, please do!" she exclaimed joyously.

The guards could only blink as they left the room with unease.

The princess walked towards Naru to have a conversation. "You seem like a fun person. May I help you?"

The possessed Naru dropped all friendly pretenses and smirked. "All I want is the legendary secret treasure!"

Suddenly, the youma within her began to pop out before she began her move.

"AH!" Dia screamed, terrified as she tried to run away. Unfortunately, the youma had caught her and entered her body.

Naru collapsed as the now-possessed Dia smiled evilly as she took the box.

The doors suddenly opened as the guards were back in again.

"Ojou-sama, are you alright?!" one of them exclaimed in alarm.

Dia merely chuckled before she ran right through them.

"Out of the way!" she exclaimed as she pushed right through them. "The legendary secret treasure is mine!"

"Princess Diamond!" the butler exclaimed.

"Something's wrong!" one of the guard yelled.

"Has she lost her mind?!" another guard asked in panic.

"Sound the alarm! Hurry!" the butler ordered in haste.

In all of their years of service, never did they witness the princess being so hellbent on taking the treasure for herself.

* * *

The alarm rang through the embassy as all the guests stopped what they were doing. It was a frenzy as the moment was ruined for the two.

Luna leaped onto Usagi's shoulder. "Usagi, it's terrible!" the cat whispered. "Princess Diamond has gone to the balcony with the secret treasure!"

"What?!" Usagi gasped quietly as she snuck away.

Tsubasa noticed the crowd muttering and distracted. Taking this opportunity, he grabbed his sports bag and snuck out of the room.

* * *

The possessed princess ran out of the balcony and was about to throw it down to Nephrite.

"Hold it!" the princess was stopped as Usagi got a hold of her.

"Princess Diamond, please wake up!" the odango girl exclaimed, trying to snap out of the possession.

"Let go!" Dia exclaimed as she jerked back, causing Usagi to fall over the balcony!

"I-I'm falling!" Usagi cried out.

"Usagi-chan!" Luna exclaimed in horror.

In a quick moment, Tuxedo Mask grabbed onto Usagi's wrist and tried to pull her up.

"Tuxedo Mask..." she breathed out as she tried to hold on tight. However, the tuxedo hero was struggling.

Unfortunately, Dia, still in her possessed state chuckled evilly.

"Both of you can fall and die together!" she exclaimed as she pushed him roughly.

"UGH!" Tuxedo Mask was struggling.

"NYAAAAH!" Luna yelled as she leaped onto Dia.

* * *

From the outside of the ballroom where it was crowded, Ami and Rei were trying to take a look.

"Something's going on," Ami said.

Both of them looked at each other, knowing this was bad.

* * *

Back at the balcony, Tuxedo Mask was still trying to pull Usagi up, much to Nephrite's frustration.

"Tuxedo Mask, you're always getting in the way!" the Shitennou general exclaimed. "You should be lucky that you get to die with a beautiful princess!"

Before he could cast a spell...

 **"FIRE SOUL!"**

Nephrite jumped back to prevent himself from touching the flames that were cast right in front of him.

On the opposite side were the sailor senshi, Mercury and Mars.

"My Tuxedo Mask will live on forever!" Mars exclaimed.

Nephrite glared as he prepared to fight.

Tuxedo Mask tried to hold on, but Usagi's hand was beginning to sweat so much that it slipped out of her glove!

Usagi screamed out as Tuxedo Mask lunged over to grab onto her, hoping to break her fall. Luna had quickly tossed the umbrella that car with Usagi's dress and threw it over. The odango girl managed to get a hold of it and open it, leaving them to float downwards in the air, a la Mary Poppins style. The cat let out a sigh of relief as they landed safely.

"Shoot!" Nephrite cursed before he jumped away to make his escape.

"Nephrite, stop!" Tuxedo Mask called out but before he could give chase, Sailor Mercury was in his way.

"Who are you?!" she questioned, feeling alarmed.

"I would like to know who I am as well," he replied before looking away. "To do that, I must solve the mystery of the legendary Silver Crystal."

Both Usagi and Sailor Mars gasped at the fact that he knew about the relic.

Mercury pressed on. "Are you our enemy or ally?"

He looked back. "If we're looking for the same thing, I could be your enemy."

With that, he jumped off to and left to make chase for Nephrite.

Usagi was still gushing about Tuxedo Mask, especially when he made that grand exit.

"Usagi-chan, snap out of it!" Sailor Mercury exclaimed.

The odango girl blinked back to reality. "Oh, right!"

 **"Moon Prism Power! Make-Up!"**

* * *

The guests had surrounded Princess Diamond, who was unconscious. They muttered about what had happened.

"This is an unexpected incident," Kenji muttered before he continued to snap pictures. "This will be a huge scoop!"

Mikan looked around in worry. "Where's Tsu-kun?!"

* * *

From outside the embassy and right in an alley, Nephrite tried to regain himself before beginning a summon.

"Come back to life, my other self!" Nephrite chanted as a sign appeared on his forehead while his eyes glowed.

* * *

The dark aura surrounding the unconscious Dia began to swirl as people began to back away. In a few seconds, the princess stood back up, still possessed as the press began to take pictures.

"Clear the way!" she ordered. "Anyone who disobeys shall be sacrificed to the great ruler!"

She began to summon a swirl of dark magic as she shot right at them.

"W-what?!" Kenji exclaimed before he was knocked unconscious along with the rest of the crowd.

Before Dia could do anything, the Sailor Senshi had arrived!

 _ **(Tsuki ni Kawatte Oshioki yo! from Sailor Moon Crystal OST)**_

"Pretty Sailor Soldier of love and justice, Sailor Moon!"

"Likewise, Sailor Mercury!"

"Likewise, Sailor Mars!"

Sailor Moon pointed at Dia. "I'll never forgive you for possessing the innocent Princess Diamond!"

The youma merely chuckled. "The legendary secret treasure, the Silver Crystal, is mine!"

"The Silver Crystal?" Luna questioned.

Dia had cast hersel to flying out of the ballroom and out in the garden while the Sailor Senshi leaped right after her.

"Rin, Pyo, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen! Begone, evil spirit!" Mars exclaimed as she placed the paper charm on the princess's back. She fell to her knees as the youma began to leave her body. It began to form as a familiar face was there!

"Nephrite!" the senshi exclaimed.

Nephrite cast a beam of dark energy, causing them to freeze in their tracks. The heroines cried out as they were being blown away.

He began to laugh. "Suffer and die!"

"I can't move!" Mars cried out.

"We'll die at this rate!" Moon exclaimed.

"TIEAH!"

 _ **(Phantom Gentleman Who Never Sleeps by Nash Music Library)**_

A burst of energy went through the youma apparition as he focused his attention on the source.

"Tenebrae!" the senshi exclaimed in relief.

Nephrite snarled. "You've been a thorn on my side for too long, shadow walker! You shall die here!"

He cast another dark swirl of energy, before Tenebrae fired back with the Shadow Stream! Both energies began to clash with each other.

"We've gotta help him!" Sailor Moon exclaimed.

"I'll do what I can!" Mercury declared.

 **"Sãbao Spray!"**

The bubbles went through the dark ray, causing it to dissolve before the Shadow Stream went right at Nephrite!

"URGH!" the youma hissed as it was looking weakened.

"How shameless of you to mislead Princess Diamond!" Moon chastised. "In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!"

Sailor Moon took off her tiara and tossed it.

 **"Moon Tiara Action!"**

It had went right through as Nephrite's youma apparition screamed in pain as it dissipated into nothingness.

 _ **(End OST)**_

"We did it!" Sailor Moon exclaimed as the senshi began to celebrate. Tenebrae began to walked towards Dia, who was slowly stirring awake. Her glasses fell off as the armoured warrior gently helped her up.

"Princess, are you alright?" Sailor Moon asked.

"What have I been doing?" Dia muttered in confusion.

"By any chance, could you be our princess?" Luna asked.

"My glasses... I can't see anything without my glasses," Dia said, trying to find her glasses while wondering who was talking. Tenebrae held onto the glasses and placed it in her hand.

"Thank you," she said as she put them on.

"Excuse me, Princess Diamond, you're our princess, aren't you?" Luna asked.

"Huh?" Dia realised who was speaking before she let out a scream. "The cat! The cat spoke!"

She fainted as Sailor Moon caught her.

Luna sighed. "So she's not the one."

The senshi nodded while Tenebrae facepalmed. With that, he began to fly off before he was stopped.

"Tenebrae, are you an enemy or ally?" Sailor Mercury asked. Despite her cautious demeanor, she had a look of worry.

Tenebrae stopped before looking at them. A long silence as he stared, making the heroines shift uncomfortably. Eventually, he turned his back once again.

"SHEAH!" He flew off.

* * *

Everyone in the ballroom began to wake up, wondering what had happened. However, Kenji turned to see the film of his camera twisted.

"My film!" he sighed in exasperation.

Mikan looked around to find Tsubasa.

"Tsu-kun!" She exclaimed as she ran to him. "Thank goodness you're safe. I was worried that you would get hurt!"

The boy smiled. "Don't worry, I'm fine."

Eventually, everything had settled down as the butler began to make the announcement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for waiting. And now, Princess Diamond will reveal the world's final legendary secret treasure."

The doors opened as he moved aside. The crowd was in awe as the light was on the princess, who had the box with her.

Slowly, Naru began to wake up as she looked around. "What have I been doing?"

The treasure was finally unveiled...a 2,000 karat diamond!

"It is a statue of the Diamond Kingdom's first ever princess."

The crowd was in awe as Tuxedo Mask looked from afar with a smile, yet on the inside, he was disappointed that it was not the Silver Crystal.

From afar, Nephrite growled in annoyance as he saw that it was not what he was seeking. "What a waste of time and power." With that, he teleported back to base.

Rei and Ami were watching with Luna in the bluenette's arms.

"Looks like we're back to square one with our search for the princess," Luna sighed. "Oh, where's Usagi?"

Usagi smiled as she went to the drinks table. "I'm so exhausted! Time for some juice!"

Unfortunately, there was no juice. Only alcohol.

"Oh, this is delicious," she trailed off as her face was red and tipsy. She felt her head on someone. "Oh, excuse me."

Tuxedo Mask smiled as he led her out of the ballroom.

* * *

Tuxedo Mask gently placed Usagi on the pillar as she was unconscious. Slowly, he lowered his face to her.

"In a distant past, I feel as though something similar happened before." Tuxedo Mask whispered as he moved closer to her. Usagi tried to keep her eyes open, but the tipsyness had still overcame her. "I feel like my memories will return..."

"Usagi!"

Tuxedo Mask blinked as he turned around to see Tsubasa walking around, looking for someone.

"Where are you?" When he saw Tuxedo Mask, both of them stared right at each other. Slowly, Tsubasa made several steps towards the masked gentleman. Eventually at a distance, he stopped. After a staredown, Tuxedo Mask eventually nodded before he fled into the night. The ravenette stared off as he looked at the fleeing figure. Turning back, he saw that Usagi was unconscious and red. She must have had drank the alcohol already.

Gently carrying her bridal style, Tsubasa began to walk out of the embassy.

He was wondering if they were going to kiss. If that were the case...

"Sorry about that. I didn't think that there was moment between you two," Tsubasa chuckled. "You know, I wonder what Tenebrae would think if he knew that you two almost kissed. Then again, he'd probably congratulate you two if you became a couple. Between both of them, Tuxedo Mask is more charming and handsome. Tenebrae is just an aloof guy that hides under the mask."

He looked down at her sleeping face. "Still, Tenebrae is probably willing to accept who you choose. You're one of the most unique and free-spirited girls ever. Any guy would fall for you."

 _'Though her choosing Tenebrae would be a huge problem. And I can't let that happen.'_ he thought.

He felt his shoulder being rubbed as he noticed that Usagi was snuggling into his shoulder. He smiled as he continued to carry her to her home.

He hoped that anyone else living with her were still sleeping.

* * *

 **A/N: And that wraps it up! This was an interesting chapter to write since it was vital to the canon storyline. However with Tsubasa in the mix, this is probably going to be a problem.**

 **To the guest who asked if I would be doing a sequel, yes I am. However, that's probably gonna take a while since there's so many episodes to do.**

 **If anyone has any comments, suggestions or criticisms, feel free to review. If anyone has any questions, PM me.**


	14. Ep 14: Mature Romance, Difficult Choice

The sun was hot and shining brightly as the public pool was overcrowded with people who are dying to take a swim. Yet one Naru Osaka sat by the edge of the pool, gently kicking her legs in the water as she looked down at her reflection. The poor girl sighed as she remembered that one person that stole her heart.

* * *

 _She could picture the wind blowing away the petals as Masato's maroon locks were swept away to show his smile._

 _"Naru-chan..."_

 _He offered a hand as Naru blushed, looking down at the hand before slowly taking it. With that, all they could ever focus on was each other._

 _'So this is love...' she thought as they gently waltzed through the soft rose petals._

* * *

 **SPLASH!**

Naru was out of her daydream as she was splashed by her best friend, Usagi.

"There! There!" Usagi exclaimed as she continued to splash at her.

Naru turned her nose up and looked away, looking mildly irritated. "Usagi, you're such a child."

The odango girl laughed it off. "Oh, you're too kind!" However, she realized that it was an insult and narrowed her eyes. "Oh, and you're more grown-up?"

Naru smirked. "Well, of course. Because I'm..." She blushed and went back to her daydream. "...involved in a mature romance."

Usagi's face went blank at her best friend's declaration.

 **BONK**

A inflated ball had knocked her over, causing her to merely go leagues underwater as she blew bubbles.

 **SPLASH!**

Usagi got back up to catch a breather. "Naru-chan, you need to have someone to love first!"

"Oh please, Usagi. Of course I have someone," Naru claimed as her cheeks continued to flush.

The odango girl looked shocked and scared stiff. "What?! Then you're in love with Umino?! Oh, it better not Tuxedo Mask, Motoki or Tenebrae! They belong to me!"

"It's not them. I told you, it's a mature romance," she affirmed. "I'll tell you then. It's Sanjoin-sama."

* * *

Tsubasa was getting ice-cream for the girls. He was startled that they invited him. Umino couldn't come since the bespectacled boy had to study. Who on Earth would want to study on a hot day like this?

 _ **"WHAT?!"**_

The ravenette blinked. That sounded like Usagi. Oh well. Must be one of her moments.

* * *

Usagi's jaw was dropped right into the water. That reaction stopped Naru from blinking as she looked at her.

"You don't have to act surprised," the brunette said, looking bemused. She went back to blushing. "I know he's a bit older than me, but an age difference doesn't matter when you're in love."

Usagi sweatdropped. That was true, but... "But he's absolutely no good for you!"

Naru glared and stood up. "Forget it, I shouldn't have told you anything!"

With a 'hmph', she walked off. Usagi was supposed to be her best friend! Naru thought that she could rely on her for support, but it appears that wasn't the case.

Unbeknownst to her, she had passed by Tsubasa, who was holding two popsicles in both hands. Staring back at her retreating form, he turned to Usagi for answers.

"What was that about?" he asked.

Usagi shrugged sheepishly. She couldn't tell him that Naru was dating a villain!

* * *

In the throne of the Dark Kingdom, Queen Beryl was looking displeased.

"Where has Nephrite gone?!" the sorceress demanded. "He does not appear, no matter how many times I summon him!"

A surge of energy had been unleashed through the throne room as the youma began to tremble in fear.

"Queen Beryl is furious!"

"How terrifying!"

Beryl glared into her crystal ball. "Nephrite, you had better be ready to face the consequences!"

In a swirl of petals, Zoicite had appeared from a darker corner as he chuckled as to what was happening.

 _'Nephrite is already a candle flickering in the wind. How I pity him.'_ Zoicite thought as he tried to stifle his chuckles. However, his smirk was visible as this could be chance to gain glory.

* * *

In Nephrite's lair, the Shitennou general himself began to think through his plans. _'I no longer have time to worry about stealing energy. Now I must obtain what I need in exchange for the celestial globe.'_

Suddenly, his train of thought was broken by effeminate giggling. He turned to see Zoicite right above him.

"You again! What do you want?" Nephrite demanded. He was not in a good mood.

Zoicite didn't care. "My, you shouldn't treat me so coldly. Queen Beryl is furious as she has tried looking for you."

"Hmph," Nephrite glared. "Kunzite told you to come and check up on me, did he?"

"Well, well..." Zoicite's smirk grew wider. "From your attitude, you don't really have any good plans ready."

"Mind your own business! Get out of my sight!" the maroon Shitennou raised his voice, a far cry from his charismatic tone.

"Oh, how scary," the androgynous general snarked. "Here's some friendly advice. Why don't you retire before our queen reaches her breaking point?"

"Shut up! I will find the Silver Crystal and get the better of you!"

Zoicite gasped, this time genuinely. "You're terrible! The Silver Crystal is my assignment!"

Nephrite glared. "It doesn't matter who's assignment it is! Whoever gets it wins! I'll get a hold of the Silver Crystal and restore my honor!"

"Unbelievable! I won't forget this!" Zoicite exclaimed as he teleported out in a swirl of petals. He will prove that he was not the weak link!

With the interloper out of the way, Nephrite took a deep breath and smiled. "I can't believe I lost my composure towards someone as petty as Zoicite."

Channeling his power, he began to meditate within the cosmic force. _'The stars know everything. When the sun creates a sinister perpendicular angle between Neptune and Mars, the guide to the Silver Crystal shall appear. And that is...'_

He opened his eyes.

 _'...the Black Crystal.'_

Focusing on his energy, fingertips from both hands joined as he could feel the spark within. Now he had to look through the stars and summon the powers towards him. With enough concentration, Nephrite focused on the shape and color as he used the power to create and mold.

Then...silence.

 **CLINK!**

A black crystal fell to the ground. Nephrite picked it up and stared at it.

 _'So this is the guide that will lead me to the Silver Crystal,'_ he thought.

Suddenly, he became startled as the crystal began to glow blue. Inside the crystal was an image of one familiar girl.

Naru Osaka.

 _'Is it saying that this little girl has the Silver Crystal?!'_ he wondered in shock. This wasn't possible. She wasn't Sailor Moon, yet...

Hm. He was acting too hastily, but he needed to confirm his suspicions soon. A plan began to form in his mind.

* * *

Back in the Dark Kingdom, Zoicite had found comfort in his lover as they sat together on Kunzite's throne.

"Kunzite-sama, I'm so upset!" Zoicite lamented.

Kunzite chuckled as he held the androgynous man close to him. "Let Nephrite do what he wants."

"But what if he..." A finger was gently placed on his lips, along with a soft "shh".

"If Nephrite happens to get a hold of the Silver Crystal, we can just steal it from him!"

Zoicite smiled as he held onto Kunzite's hand to his cheek. "That's a great plan, Kunzite-sama."

"Zoicite, for the time being, let one of your youma keep an eye on Nephrite," Kunzite instructed.

The andrgynous Shitennou nodded and turned his head. "Yasha! I know you're in there! You heard what he said!"

Out from the shadows came one of his youma, Yasha.

"Yes, master. Your wish is my command."

With that, she disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

Tsubasa was on his way to the Game Center Crown to relieve the stress by popping in a few tokens and playing some games. All this homework and part-timing was really getting to him.

"Hey, Tsubasa!"

The ravenette turned to see Mamoru on his way here. He must be here to meet up with Motoki. He remembered what had happened at that embassy party last time. Tsubasa frowned, but there was something suspicious about what he had done. Oh, he knew that Mamoru was Tuxedo Mask. The mask and top hat almost had him fooled, but he could recognize that suave voice anywhere.

"Mamoru-san. Coming to see Motoki?"

He nodded. "I have some homework to do and I need to borrow some notes from him."

"Right. Must be a tough one then."

"Oh, trust me. It's a subject that you need to cram into," Mamoru said, his tone filled with exasperation.

When they both got inside, they saw Usagi standing afar while she was looking at Motoki. It seemed that the friendly store clerk was teaching a very pretty girl how to play the Sailor V game. The odango girl seemed frantic for some reason. The boys looked at each other before Mamoru stepped right up from behind her.

Suddenly, Usagi froze. "Uh oh. This aura..."

Slowly turning around, Usagi was face-to-face with the older boy.

"Yo, odango atama!" Mamoru greeted cheerfully.

Usagi puffed her cheeks in annoyance. Sometimes she wished that Tsubasa picked better friends.

"Hey, Motoki!" Mamoru called out to the clerk. "If you keep ignoring her, your odango will turn into a puff pastry!"

At that, Usagi's eyes widened like saucers as her face was burning red in embarrassment. Tsubasa giggled softly at the scene.

She began waving her arms around. "He's just kidding! I'm not a puff pastry at all!"

Motoki walked up to them with a friendly smile. "Oh, Usagi-chan! I didn't know you were here. Sorry about that."

"K-Konichiwa!" Usagi blurted out, unable to say anything with her usual schoolgirl gush.

"I'm almost done with my shift," Motoki informed. "Usagi-chan, would you like to go out for a cup of tea or anything?"

Usagi was trying to keep her emotions to a minimum at that, but her inner self was elated and jumping with joy at the offer. _'Finally, a date with Motoki-onii-san!'_

"Sure! I need to ask you for some advice, too!" she eagerly accepted.

"Oh, we'll tag along as well! I've got nothing better to do anyway," Mamoru said, smirking on the inside. The notes can wait.

"What?!" Usagi yelled, her plan for a date with Motoki immediately gone!

"That's a good idea!" Motoki agreed enthusiastically. "The four of us can get to know each other more!"

Once Motoki said that, Usagi did a 180 and had sparkles in her eyes as she looked at him. "I-I agree!"

Mamoru and Tsubasa sweatdropped at the sudden change in demeanor.

* * *

The four of them were settled in a cafe on the second floor. Motoki and Mamoru ordered tea while Usagi had soda. Tsubasa was an unusual one since he took coffee.

"I didn't know you took coffee," Usagi muttered in surprise.

Tsubasa smiled. "Oh, I have a lot of things to do to get my day on to try and not exhaust myself."

"So, Usagi-chan. What do you want to ask about?" Motoki asked.

Usagi took a deep breath and looked down at her drink. "My friend, Naru-chan, is in love with a bad person, but she doesn't know that he's bad."

"And?" Motoki continued on, concerned about the situation.

"Well..." she trailed off. "What should I do in this situation? If I tell her the truth, Naru-chan will..."

Motoki took a deep thought. "I don't think you need to be in a hurry. You could wait and see a little."

Usagi pondered about that. "That's true..."

 _'He thinks the same way as Ami.'_

"Waiting and watching won't change anything."

Usagi looked up to see Mamoru with a surprisingly narrowed eyes. This was the first time she had seen the smug boy with a serious expression.

"Telling the truth is a form of courage, too," Mamoru said.

Tsubasa could hear a trace of Tuxedo Mask in his voice.

"Mamoru may be right," Motoki said as he took a sip of his tea. "Naru might get mad if you tell her the truth, but as her friend, it's something you have to tell her."

"I'm with them on this one," Tsubasa agreed. "However, it's your choice whether you want to tell her or not. Try to make sure there's an understanding between you two."

Usagi's eyes began to shine as she found her solution. "You're right! Now that I feel better, I'm hungry!"

She called out to a waitress. "Excuse me! I'd like a fruit parfait, mixed sandwiches, a strawberry shortcake, and a glass of juice!"

All three boys looked at each other sheepishly.

"Motoki, Tsubasa. Do you have any money?" Mamoru asked weakly.

"I-I think I can manage," Motoki answered hoarsely.

"Goodbye, work money..." Tsubasa whispered in despair.

"Don't worry! This is my treat today!" Usagi exclaimed in protest before she forgot something. "Oh, could you bring me a mixed pizza too?"

She began to laugh jovially before Tsubasa asked the armor-piercing question.

"Can you afford all of that by yourself?" he asked.

Time immediately stopped for the odango girl. If only her father increased her allowance...

* * *

Later at night, Tsubasa was getting dinner ready. Just another cup of instant noodles would do the trick. Sure, it was unhealthy to eat the same thing again. But what could he do?

Still, it was common knowledge to him that Masato Sanjoin was Nephrite's alias. Something had to be done in order to prevent Naru from getting into danger. He felt guilty for leaving her in the dark, but how could he without exposing his identity? Hopefully, Usagi took the advice and used it wisely.

 **BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!**

Oh, no...

* * *

"Hey, Luna. Let's not do this," Usagi muttered, feeling tired.

"What are you saying?" Luna asked, annoyed at the odango girl's reluctance. "We're going to make sure Naru understood what you said, right? Besides, we have to do this now because you didn't do it right the first time!"

"I know that, but..." Usagi tried to protest, but caught sight of one Mayumi Osaka looked for someone.

Mayumi looked up to recognize Naru's best friend. "Have you seen Naru?"

"Is something wrong?" the odango girl asked, full attention and worry plaguing her mind.

"She grabbed the store's jewelry and took off," the mother answered.

"What?!" Usagi exclaimed in shock. "Do you have any idea why?"

"She got a phone call from somebody named Masato Sanjoin and..."

She was cut off by a gasp as Usagi's eyes widened in fear. "He's a bad guy! I'll help you look for her!"

 _'I can't forgive him! How dare he take advantage of Naru's feelings!'_ she thought angrily as she and Luna ran to find Naru.

"Usagi-chan, transform now!" Luna told her.

 **"Moon Prism Power! Make-Up!"**

* * *

Nephrite placed the Black Crystal over the jewelry given by the foolish girl. However, nothing happened.

 _'The Black Crystal isn't responding. This is just a regular crystal,'_ he thought in annoyance as he tried to get it to work.

Watching closely was Naru, who was still lovestruck.

 _'I'm so glad that I was able to help Sanjoin-sama.'_ she thought with a smile.

Suddenly, Nephrite could see the glow in the Black Crystal. ' _Th-this is...'_

 _'The Black Crystal is show a response! Why?'_

He realized that it was coming from Naru. He looked at her with narrowed eyes. _'This girl is worth investigating.'_

She saw him looking back as she bashfully looked down at her feet.

"I want you to help me with something. Would you come with me?" he asked.

Naru didn't waste anytime accepting the offer as Nephrite placed her arm over her shoulder. "Come, shall we go?"

However coming from the shadows was a youma.

"Wait a second!"

Nephirte and Naru looked up in surprise before turning to see Sailor Moon with a cross expression.

"How dare you take advantage of a girl's love?! I'll arrest you on the charge of romantic fraud!"

The maroon-haired man glared at her. "Don't interfere in my business!"

"For love and justice, Pretty Sailor Senshi Sailor Moon!" the heroine exclaimed. "In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

"S-Sailor Moon? What are you doing here?" Naru asked in confusion.

"Naru-chan, don't be tricked! Masato Sanjoin is really Nephrite!" she exclaimed urgently before pointing at the man himself. "He's a member of an evil organization called the Dark Kingdom!"

Naru looked at her in disbelief. "No! It's a lie! He is not a bad person!" She looked at him in desperation. "Right, Sanjoin-sama?"

However, she didn't receive a response as he was glaring darkly at Sailor Moon.

"Sanjoin-sama...?" she called out weakly, hope slowly diminishing.

He began to form a ball of dark energy and blasted towards Sailor Moon!

 **POW!**

The heroine cried out in pain as she was knocked back by the projectile!

Nephrite began a prayer. "O stars, grant me power."

In an instant, balls of energy began to shoot out from his hand and began to take aim at Sailor Moon! The heroine cried out as she tried to dodge the oncoming projectiles.

"No more games!" Nephrite exclaimed. Gathering an extent of his energy, he began to unleash a powerful attack.

 **"Starlight Attack!"**

Sailor Moon shrieked in horror as she jumped back, the attack causing a trail of destruction on the ground.

"YAAH!" Moon screamed comically as the special attack created a huge hole in the ground.

Nephrite smirked. "So you managed to just barely dodge it. But when I strike next, I will not miss."

Moon felt bullets of sweat down her head as she worried if she would not escape the next one. It seemed that all hope was lost...

"Oh, you are so pitiful!"

"Sailor Moon, hang in there!"

 _ **(Tsuki ni Kawatte Oshioki yo! from Sailor Moon Crystal OST)**_

The odango heroine gasped in happiness as the cavalry has arrived!

"Sailor Mars has arrived!"

"Sailor Mercury has arrived!"

Nephrite's expression remained unchanged. "So, the three of you are here."

He began to gather his energy. "I'll send all of you to Hell together!"

Before he could prepare another Starlight Attack...

 **"Sabão Spray!"**

Everything had turned into mist.

"Damn! Where are they?!" Nephrite exclaimed.

 **"Fire Soul!"**

He turned to see a flaming projectile coming right at him. In a flash, he dodged out of the way.

"Sanjoin-sama!"

Widening his eyes, Nephrite turned to see that Naru was still here. "I didn't know that she was here."

 **"Moon Tiara Action!"**

"Sanjoin-sama!" Naru exclaimed as she tried to shield him.

 **(End OST)**

Everyone looked in shock as the tiara was aiming straight.

"I will protect you, Sanjoin-sama!" the girl declared as she stood defiantly right in front.

"N-Naru-chan!" Moon shouted in horror.

Naru began to brace herself as the projectile was looming closer.

"Please stop!" the odango heroine cried out in desperation.

In an instant, the tiara stopped and fell to the ground.

"I don't believe it. It stopped," Moon muttered.

"Please don't hurt Sanjoin-sama!" Naru exclaimed in anger.

"We cannot let him go!" Mercury retorted.

"Get out of our way!" Mars shouted.

"No, I won't! Not even if you kill me!" Naru defied.

Nephrite looked up in disbelief at the foolish girl that was protecting him.

 _'She cares for me...'_

"Why do you go to such great lengths to protect him?!" Mercury asked.

Naru looked down at her feet. Eventually, she looked back at them.

"Because I love him," Naru answered, her voice coming out in a whisper. Her tears began to pour down her cheeks. "I love him with all my heart. So I'll protect him, even if it costs me my life!"

"N-Naru-chan..." Moon gasped, guilt beginning to grow in her heart as she felt torn in between. On on side was her friend's happiness. On the other is to protect the world.

Suddenly, the Black Crystal began to glow. Nephrite took it out and looked at it.

"Does this Black Crystal respond to a kind heart?" he muttered. "Sacrificing her own life to save another..."

 _'Is this what human love is?'_

Suddenly, coming out from the shadows was a youma!

"Is that the Silver Crystal?!" the kabuki youma, Yasha, exclaimed as she began to attack Nephrite. The Shitennou general blocked every palm thrust. However in the fight, he had dropped the crystal.

 **CLANK!**

Both stopped and turned to see where the crystal lay. Curious, Naru slowly began to reach out for it as she took it.

Before anyone can react, Yasha lunged towards her in an instant.

"Hand it over!" she yelled. Naru screamed in terror.

"Naru-chan!" Nephrite yelled out as he delivered a blast towards Yasha.

In an instant, time had almost stopped as Yasha's noh mask was broken off.

"Nephrite saved Naru-chan..." Moon muttered in horror.

"Sanjoin-sama saved me," Naru gasped. Slowly, her vision began to fade as she collapsed.

"Naru-chan!" the odango heroine exclaimed in worry.

Nephrite himself was shocked that he did that. Why would he ever save a human girl, a foolish one no less? Maybe it has something to do with what he was feeling?

Yasha covered her face as she tried to recover. "Damn you, Nephrite! You intend to protect a human?!"

In an instant, she had changed from her noh form to her oni form. What nobody knew was that the noh mask served as a power limiter. Her oni form had only unleashed her full power. She began to charge at Nephrite with her horns! The general grabbed them and threw her up. However, she had recovered airborne as her horns turned into drills.

"Traitors must die!" Yasha screamed as she began to lunge at him.

Nephrite merely stood there. He looked calm, as if he was awaiting his fate.

"SHIYAH!"

In an instant, Yasha was pushed back instantly. She stood her ground and glared.

"Who dares!" she demanded in fury.

 _ **(Phantom Gentleman Who Never Sleeps by Nash Music Library)**_

Landing right in the center of all to see was Tenebrae as he began to stand up.

"Tenebrae!" Sailor Moon cried out in relief as the rest of the senshi were also glad to see him. Nephrite looked at the armored warrior. He knew that his rival was a worthy opponent, but there was something that was familiar. This scenario...it all felt similar.

"Grr..." Yasha growled before screaming and charging at him. Tenebrae braced himself as he began to dash towards the oncoming enemy.

 **CRASH!**

It was like a car crash as the two opponents were trying to get the upper hand, pushing each other. It was like a test of strength!

"What is he doing?!" Mars exclaimed in bafflement.

"He's trying to knock her back down to gain offense," Mercury answered, watching the fight unravel.

Tenebrae felt his hands hurt from the drill horns, but he had flipped her over. Yasha landed safely on the ground. In an instant, she began to puff her cheeks. When she let go, she blew fire!

 _ **(End OST)**_

Surprised, Tenebrae was caught off-guard as the flames consumed him.

"Tenebrae!" The senshi screamed out in horror as their long-trusted ally was burned to ash. Nephrite narrowed his eyes.

Yasha began to laugh as her enemy was destroyed. She turned to Nephrite, who tensed at the situation. "You're next!"

However, as the flames cleared, a figure in bright flames continued to stand tall. Tenebrae was still engulfed in flames, but he was still alive. Everyone was looking in disbelief.

"But how?!" Yasha exclaimed in horror.

 _ **"Shadow Dynamite!"**_

In an instant, Tenebrae began to charge towards the youma and grabbed onto her as the flames stayed on him.

 **BOOM!**

The explosion caused everyone to cover their eyes as the brightness was too much to handle. As the light died down, so were the flames. Tenebrae continued to stand, but Yasha was no more.

Soon, the flames and smoke were immediately gone. It was as if the battle never happened. Everyone could only look in disbelief at how strong the armored warrior was. Nephrite narrowed his eyes even further. The Dark Kingdom may have a foe that could bring them down altogether. Who was he?!

* * *

Naru was still unconscious on Sailor Moon's lap as Tenebrae and the rest of the senshi were on their guard. Nephrite stood right in front of them with a neutral look on his face. Taking out the crystal that Naru gave him, he knelt down and placed it back in her hand.

Standing up, he began to walk away.

"Nephrite, why can't you be a little considerate of Naru-chan's feelings?!" Moon asked, anger evident in her tone.

"I have returned the favor," Nephrite answered.

"Excuse me, that is not what I'm talking about!" she exclaimed as her annoyance was growing.

"Don't you have a heart?!" Mercury yelled, her expression mirroring her leader's.

"You're wasting your breath. Of course he doesn't!" Mars said with a glare.

Nephrite scowled. What did she know about him?! They were merely on opposite sides. If they plan to treat him the villain, then they will get one then!

"Hmph! Obviously, you guys know nothing!" Nephrite exclaimed with a sarcastic smirk. "Listen, once we get the Silver Crystal, the whole universe will belong to the Dark Kingdom!"

"The Silver Crystal? What are you talking about?" Moon asked in confusion.

 _'The Silver Crystal...it all sounds familiar.'_ Luna thought.

"You can pretend to be champions of justice for now, but that won't last for much longer!" Nephrite continued. "Until then, you can keep blathering on about your love and justice."

The Shitennou eyed one armored warrior. "Oh, and Tenebrae. We'll settle the score the next time we meet." Despite the opposites, it felt like there was some sort of understanding. Was that why he was silent? He could never know. Still, he could feel bit and pieces of his memories coming back to him. And they all involved this black knight.

With that, he walked away with a laugh.

Naru began to shake in her sleep. "Ngh...Sanjoin-sama..."

"Naru-chan..." Sailor Moon muttered in worry.

Suddenly, a light began to shine as the heroine looked up to the sky to see a shooting star.

 _'Oh, shooting star. Please, if Nephrite really does care for Naru, don't let him do any more bad things.'_

* * *

 **A/N: And that's a wrap! I've finally finished this chapter now that the semester is completed. I'm actually pondering on writing another Sailor Moon story connected to this story in a sense that it's a parallel universe. I did plan on several stories related to the Tenebrae-verse.**

 **-Silver Millenium. Various stories surrounding Tenebrae's origins.**

 **-Parallel. Based on the Parallel Sailor Moon special, where Tsubasa has two sons.**

 **-Lemons. Exactly what it says on the tin, but there will be a small chance.**

 **I did consider a Crystal Tokyo story, but that would be way too spoilerific.**

 _ **New Move Unlocked:**_

 **-Shadow Dynamite:**

A dashing attack in which Tenebrae is engulfed in flames. The impact causes a massive and powerful explosion, destroying enemies with ease. Tenebrae then reforms back to normal. This ability also has a dangerous side-effect for Tenebrae. Because it takes a lot of his energy to make, upon reforming, he is both physically and energetically exhausted. Tenebrae usually shouts "Shadow Dynamite" before using it.


	15. Ep 15: A Tragic Romance, Nephrite’s Fall

The summer heat had spread throughout all of the Minato District. Everyone was having fun in the sun as they began to enjoy themselves in various activities that took place in the outdoors. However, there was one that didn't seem to have the same summer spirit.

Naru sat at the end of the playground slide, burying her head to her knees. The whole playground was empty as she sat alone. Fortunately, Usagi was there to accompany her, but that didn't do much to lighten the atmosphere.

Usagi wasn't sure what to do. On one hand, Naru was in love. On the other hand, Masato Sanjoin was really Nephrite in disguise. She couldn't tell him about the latter since this would raise too many questions.

Taking a deep breath, she finally spoke.

"Hey, Naru-chan," she began. However, she had to pick her words carefully. "I think you should forget about him."

Silence spread through like a cave.

"I can't."

Usagi blinked. This was the first time she had spoken since morning.

"No matter how bad he is, I still love him," Naru said, her voice muffled by her knees.

The odango girl sighed as she looked afar. "Oh, boy..."

"Usagi, you have someone you love, don't you?"

Said girl blushed at the question. "What? Me? Well, yeah."

Slowly, Naru's head raised up, but she still looked down. "Then, you should know how I feel."

Usagi could not reply to that.

* * *

Nephrite sat on his throne as he looked at the Black Crystal in his hand.

"Naru Osaka. Why did the Black Crystal respond to that girl?" he wondered. "Was that the energy of love?"

* * *

 _"I will protect Sanjoin-sama!"_

* * *

 _Naru looked right into his eyes and giggled kindly._

* * *

 _"Because I love him. I love him with all my heart."_

* * *

Nephrite narrowed his eyes. For a few seconds, too many thoughts ran into his head. After that, he scoffed and turned his head away as he pushed down these feelings.

"Ridiculous," he muttered. He stood up from his throne. "Sailor Moon knew that girl's name. That girl must know Sailor Moon's identity."

He looked at the Black Crystal and chuckled. "Just you watch, Sailor Moon."

From behind the pillar, Zoicite had watched what was going on from the shadows.

 _'I've found it,'_ he thought. _'So that is the Black Crystal that's supposed to reveal the location of the Silver Crystal.'_

* * *

At night, Naru was fast asleep. It was quite hard since all she could do was think about Masato. Eventually, she fell when it was getting late and in the end, sleep had won out.

During that time, Nephrite had materialized from outside Naru's window. As he arrived, the Black Crystal began to glow.

"This girl..." he muttered. "Could the Silver Crystal be something inside a human body?"

The crystal began to glow brighter as it went nearer to the sleeping form of Naru. Nephrite phased through the window and right into her bedroom. Using his power, he began his search through his enhanced vision. Naru's body was free of restraint as the Shitennou member began to observe his readings. Going through up and down, he shifted his eyes to see anything unusual. However, nothing.

"No. The Silver Crystal is not inside the girl."

Nephrite took back the crystal as he stepped back to phase out of the window. Before he could leave, however, Naru began to shift as her eyes began to open. She saw a shadow looming over her curtain. Gasping, she was wide awake as she remembered the shape of that silhouette.

"Sanjoin-sama?" she called out, uncertainty in her voice.

He should have expected this soon. Might as well come clean since she's not a priority.

"Masato Sanjoin is only a disguise. My real name is Nephrite." He turned his head away. "I do not want to lie to you anymore."

Naru's heart sank as he told him that. Masato Sanjoin did not exist? Was everything they shared a lie as well? Getting out of bed, she began to approach the shadow.

"Please just stay there and listen," Nephrite pleaded, his voice in neutral tone.

The girl stopped as she sank to her knees. "Okay."

Silence permeated the room for a few seconds before he continued.

"You are a wonderful girl," he said. "Thanks to you, I have learned what love is for the first time."

Naru's hands slowly clenched into fists as he continued. "In the evil organization I have been a part of, there is no love. All we have been taught to do is ruin lives for our gain. I thought that was normal, but your love opened my eyes."

Tears began to form in her eyes. No wonder he was bad. This organization had made him this way! "Now, I'm thinking that I would like to join Sailor Moon to fight against the evil organization. If you know anything about her, please tell me."

He was lying. The information about the evil organization's methods were true, but he lied about teaming up with Sailor Moon.

He wanted to kill her.

She looked down as she finally replied, her voice trembling. "Gomenasai, but I don't know anything."

"Can you not trust me?" Nephrite asked, his question was tense.

"No! I trust you!" Naru cried out in protest as the tears began to fall. "But I really, really know nothing!"

The wind of the outside window could only be heard.

"I see," he finally said. "I'm sorry to hear that."

With that, he began to glow. Naru gasped as she jumped out of her bed. "Please wait!"

But when she opened the curtains, nothing but the streets lights were only seen.

"Nephrite-sama..." she muttered as the tears continued. Turning her back, she leaned on the window. Unknown to her, Nephrite was still there.

 _'If the girl knows who Sailor Moon is, she is certain to contact her somehow.'_ he thought. Hopefully this plan worked.

From a far distance, Zoicite was watching everything unfold. He was scowling at the scene before him. Did Nephrite get too complacent in his mission that he lost sight of his objective? Zoicite was a narcissist, but he was loyal.

"Tch, what a foolish man," he muttered. "Falling in love with a human girl?"

"Master Zoicite."

Turning around, three of his youma stood before him. Grape, Housenka and Suzuran. They were assassins of Zoicite's elite squad.

"You three, I believe you've heard everything you need to know," Zoicite said.

"What an idiot," Housenka remarked.

"Let's attack him now," Suzuran requested.

"Now be patient. Nephrite is a superb soldier. We don't want to get hurt by making any ill-planned moves," he looked back down in the scene. "We'll take that girl as hostage and lure him out."

"I understand," Housenka said as she gave a slight bow.

* * *

Naru sat on the edge of her bed as she looked down at her feet.

 _'How can I find out where Sailor Moon is?'_ she thought as she buried her face in her hands.

* * *

"Usagi! Phone call!"

The girl yawned as she went down the stairs.

"Who in the world is calling me in the middle of the night?" she wondered. Letting out another yawn, she finally made it as she picked up the phone. "Hello?"

No reply. Usagi raised an eyebrow in annoyance as the thought of a prank call in the middle of the night angered her. "Hello?!" she repeated in a firm tone.

"Usagi, sorry for calling you so late." Naru? Why would she call in the middle of the night?

"What's wrong?" Usagi asked, concern for her friend growing.

"I just thought that you're the only one I could talk to," Naru answered.

"Did something happen?"

"Sanjoin-sama...," she paused for a bit before continuing. "Masato Sanjoin is looking for Sailor Moon."

Usagi's eyes widened like saucers. "What?"

"Sanjoin-sama is in trouble..." Naru closed her eyes as she tried to keep it together. "But I can't do anything for him."

"What's wrong with Sanjoin-sama?" Usagi asked as Luna walked by her side. Something suspicious was going on.

Naru gave a hiccup, as tears threatened to spill.

"Naru-chan, are you crying?"

"I'm sorry for making such a weird call to you in the middle of the night. I'm alright now."

"But..."

Naru took a deep breath. "I feel calmer now after talking to you, Usagi. Thank you."

"Are you sure?"

From outside, Nephrite stood as he listened to the conversation. "Usagi?"

* * *

Tsubasa stared in the mirror as he squinted his eyes. Did his hair turn brighter than usual?

 **BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!**

He blinked out of his stupor as his helmet was beeping. Running to his bedroom, he took it out and face it right in front. The helmet's visor lighted up into his eyes as he began to see various images. Usagi was in a street, but everything was distorted!

 _'Something's wrong,'_ he thought. In an instant, he put on the helmet and stood up.

 **"Kurogane! Yatte yaruze!"**

In an instant, the metal plates began protruding from underneath the helmet as he turned into Tenebrae! Immediately, he flew out of the window to look for the scene. Frantically, he looked left and right all over to find out where this danger is.

* * *

 **"Moon Prism Power! Make-Up!"**

In an instant, she had transformed into Sailor Moon. One time she and Luna were running to Naru's place to check on her. Then the next thing when Luna left, she ended up in bizarro world!

"Whoever you are, show yourself!" she exclaimed as she went into a stance. "I know kung-fu!"

"You have finally revealed yourself, Sailor Moon!"

Laughter echoed through the streets. Suddenly, everything when back to normal.

 _'Uh oh...'_ the odango heroine thought.

Appearing right in front of her was Nephrite.

She gasped as her adversary was standing before her. "Nephrite!"

"The true identity of Sailor Moon is Usagi Tsukino. I saw it clearly," he said.

"No way!" she exclaimed as panic began to increase. She should've stayed vigilant. In an instant, she bowed in pleading fashion. "Please! Don't tell anybody that I'm Sailor Moon! Okay?! Please?!"

"There's no need to hide it anymore," Nephrite said as he smirked.

"Not exactly. So please?" she pleaded.

"Don't worry about it, because you're going to die here!" Nephrite exclaimed as he delivered a blast of his energy.

* * *

Tenebrae heard an explosion. From afar, he could see purple light. The battle must be there. He flew over there and saw several craters. Near the craters was Sailor Moon, who was on the ground.

"Prepare yourself, Sailor Moon!" The voice of Nephrite exclaimed.

As the Shitennou general blasted another shot, Sailor Moon closed her eyes as she braced for impact.

 _'Somebody...'_ she thought.

 **BOOM!**

As the explosion impacted, everything was quiet. However, the odango heroine's eyes slowly opened as she looked at herself. She was alive? But who...

"So we meet again, Tenebrae."

 _ **(Phantom Gentleman Who Never Sleeps by Nash Music Library)**_

She looked up and indeed, he was standing with an energy shield right in front of him. Sailor Moon sighed in relief as her ally had arrived in the nick of time.

"Shall we settle this at once?" Nephrite prepared another blast. His opponent's reply was an energy shot, which he dodged. When he looked back...

"JEEYAAAAH!" Tenebrae's roar had surprised him as it accompanied his stampede towards him.

 **WHAM!**

The dash charge had sent both of them tumbling to the ground. As they both got up, Tenebrae delivered a chop attack. However, Nephrite was quick to dodge as he countered with an uppercut of his own. The armored man came tumbling back. Nephrite delivered a knee to the stomach, that made him bend over. As a follow up, he received an elbow to the back of the neck that set Tenebrae on his knees.

"Tenebrae!" Sailor Moon cried out. He was supposed to be strong, right?! He'll bounce back! Right?!

"I've either overestimated you," Nephrite sneered. "Or you're holding back."

When Nephrite tried to deliver a swift side kick, Tenebrae took hold of the limb. Pushing it away to spin his opponent around, Tenebrae got up smashed Nephrite's head with his forearm. In an instant, he assaulted him with a barrage of attacks! From chops to punches and the occasional low kick, it eventually culminated in finishing the combo with a headbutt!

 _'He's tough!'_ Nephrite thought as he felt the impact of the blow. In desperation, Nephrite cast a surprise energy blast towards him, sending his adversary rolling on the ground.

 _ **(End OST)**_

Sailor Moon gasped in horror as she went by his side to help him up. As they slowly got up, Nephrite had sent another blast right at them. As quickly as he could, the armored warrior summoned another energy shield. However, the impact had pushed him back a bit slightly.

"I'm afraid this ends now," Nephrite stated as he prepared another blast.

Suddenly, a rose stabbed into the ground next to his foot!

Everyone turned to see who it was, though the heroes knew.

Tuxedo Mask stood on top of a street light, cape flowing through the wind.

"Defeat is not befitting of the beautiful Sailor Moon," Tuxedo Mask said. "I'll be your next opponent."

"Tuxedo Mask!" Sailor Moon gushed as Tenebrae was on his feet.

Nephrite smirked as Tuxedo Mask leaped off and landed next to his allies. The Shitennou was about to deliver a blast when he felt something.

Turning his back, he could hear a voice. _"Help! Nephrite-sama!"_

 _'That voice is...'_ he thought with his eyes slightly widened.

"What's wrong, Nephrite?" Tuxedo Mask asked.

Nephrite faced them. "We shall conclude this fight another time. Sailor Moon, I know who you are now! I will be able to attack you at any time now! Be ready!"

And he looked straight at Tenebrae. "And you...the next time we meet, I will end you for good."

With that, Nephrite had teleported away.

"What'll I do?! He knows who I am!" Sailor Moon panicked.

Tuxedo Mask turned to them. "Don't give up just because he knows who you are now."

He turned his back and smiled. "Goodbye."

With that, he left.

Sailor Moon blushed as she watched him leave. "Tuxedo Mask..."

She snapped out of her love stupor as she heard the sound of metal.

"Tenebrae!" she exclaimed as she ran up to him. "Are you feeling alright?"

The armored man gave a nod. However, the odango heroine was not convinced as his visor said otherwise.

"You took a lot of hits, didn't you?" she asked.

He tapped his helmet gently, though Usagi's head had tilted sideways.

"What does your helmet have to do with anything?" she asked.

He made an open-close hand gesture.

"Oh! So when your helmet's lights blink, then that means you're low on health?" she theorized. She may be mediocre at video games, but she's still gamer enough to know terminology.

Tenebrae nodded. Then, down at his feet. She was right off the mark.

She placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. With us side-to-side together, we'll be able to overcome anything!"

He looked at her. She gave a smile, which he replied with a nod.

Her expression turned serious. "Anyway, I need your help."

* * *

Luna had arrived right outside O-SAP. Unfortunately, she was too late as Naru was being carried away by the youma!

"Oh, no!" she exclaimed. "I'll have to contact the rest of the Sailor Senshi!"

* * *

Nephrite had appeared right in Naru's bedroom. The room was missing, yet there was a note on the bed. Picking it up to read it, he realized that it was a ransom!

"Hand over the Black Crystal in exchange for the girl?" he read out. "One of Zoicite's minions..."

He scowled. "That idiot! Who cares what happens to the girl?!"

And yet...

He was lying to himself. Nephrite wouldn't admit it, but he enjoyed those moments he spent with Naru. There was never a time when affection was present within the ranks. While there was a friendship between his comrades in arms (yes, even that damned Zoicite to a smaller degree), they were harsh towards each other. Yet when he met this girl, Naru Osaka, there was a connection formed that made him feel connected. Nephrite never had felt this for a longtime. Her innocent smile, her kind laugh and her bright eyes.

It...it made him happy.

Could it be...?

He clenched the note into his fist as the flames began to engulf the piece of paper as it was turned to ashes.

Zoicite, whether it was for the Dark Kingdom or not.

There will be blood!

* * *

"Hurry up, Nephrite."

Inside an abandoned store, Naru was tied up as three youma stood right in front of her. She was pale from both exhaustion and fear.

"Will he really come for the human?" Housenka questioned.

"Hmph. Well, if he doesn't show up, we'll just kill the girl," Suzuran said, as if it was a casual Sunday morning.

"Poor thing. She's scared," Housenka mocked with a playful tone.

The doors were heard open as Nephrite descended down the stairs slowly, cautious of his surroundings. He didn't say a word as he stared at them.

The three youma were on their guard as Naru looked up.

"Nephrite-sama!"

"Die!" Housenka exclaimed as she cast several fireballs at Nephrite!

The general jumped out of the way, but Suzuran had sent out sonic waves from her hands. Nephrite could feel his mental fortitude decrease from such an attack. He landed on the ground and knelt down.

Housenka took this chance to throw several more fireballs at him, causing an explosion to engulf him!

"Did we get him?!" Housenka wondered as Naru gasped in horror.

As the cloud began to fade, Nephrite was still in one piece. Suzuran gasped in horror before she was punched in the gut hard! Caught off-guard by the attack, Housenka was next to meet another punch!

Grape aimed her hand at Nephrite as it protruded towards him like thorns. Nephrite dodged out of the way, causing the thorns to slam right into the wall!

Nephrite summoned a sword, which caused Grape to gasp as she backed into a wall. In the heat of the moment, the sword stabbed right through the wall. Just inches close to Grape's head.

The plant youma trembled in fear as Nephrite smirked at her. "I will never hand over the Black Crystal to you guys! Tell that to Zoicite!"

As he moved back, Grape gasped for air as his attention was focused on the captive Naru.

Both of them stared at each other for a long time. It seemed that Naru didn't know what to make of this. Nephrite still had a neutral look on his face. Will she want nothing to do with him now that she had seen what he could do? Well, it was fun while it lasted.

* * *

Nephrite carried Naru in his arms as they left. Everything was quiet as no words were said as none of them looked at each other. Finally, someone spoke.

"Nephrite-sama, thank you."

Naru looked up into Nephrite's eyes as she said that. He paid no mind to it as he kept walking on.

"You don't need to thank me," he replied in a dry tone. A tone that masked his true feelings. "I don't even really understand why I rescued you."

As he stopped in the middle of the street, he gave her a glance. "And I've been deceiving you for a long time."

He looked away. "I may continue lying to you, even after all this."

Naru merely smiled as she caught his bluff. "That's okay."

"Hm?" Nephrite looked down at her with a genuinely confused look.

"If you'll just stay close to me, I don't mind being lied to," she said as she leaned close into his chest. However, she gasped as she noticed a cut on his arm. "You're injured!"

"It's okay," he said kindly as he placed her down gently, something light he was feeling.

However, Naru was persistent. "No, it's not! You were hurt because of me!"

She looked around. "It would be bad if those scary people come back, so come this way."

Naru took Nephrite into the park forest. Finding a comfortable-looking tree, she sat him down and knelt down beside him.

"Now, take off your jacket," Naru instructed.

Nephrite complied as he unbuttoned it. Naru tore a piece of her pajama top before she began to tend to his wound.

"In San-chome..." she began.

"Hm?" Nephrite looked at her, curious as to what this place was.

"There's a good place that serves really good chocolate parfaits," she said as she wrapped the cloth around.

"Chocolate parfait?" he muttered.

"Yeah," she answered. "You don't like them?"

He looked at her, a small tinge of surprise on his face. "Oh, no. I do."

Naru smiled. "You're lying again."

Nephrite was taken aback at that.

She went back to tending the wound. "See? Sometimes we lie with kind intentions, too."

With that, she had finally tied the bandage around tightly. Nephrite gave his wounded arm a flex and a swing. It was a bit of an ache, but it still didn't hurt a lot.

"Thank you," he said.

Naru sat next to him. "I always thought it would be nice to go there one day and have a chocolate parfait with you."

She smiled. "It's a little dream of mine."

Nephrite looked ahead. "Is that so? Then, let's go there together someday."

Naru looked at him, feeling delighted. "Really?"

He looked back "Do you think I'm lying?"

She shook her head. "Not at all. I'm so happy!"

Nephrite's neutral look began to soften, as the edges of his lips began to curve slightly upwards. There was that warm feeling again.

Naru looked down, tilting her head. "Oh, come to think of it, does the evil organization give you Sundays off?"

Now, Nephrite's eyes slightly widened at that. However, he gave a small laugh at the idea of the Dark Kingdom functioning somewhat akin to a corporate business.

She looked at him in surprise at his response before smiling. "You laughed!"

He paid no mind to it as he continued to laugh, with Naru joining him.

As the laughter died down, Naru began to rub her eyes. "It's weird. My eyes are tearing."

This caused the laughter to come back alive once more.

However, all things came to an end as Nephrite stopped and quickly felt a presence around.

Grape had ambushed them and stretched her thorn arm towards them! Thinking quickly, Nephrite pushed Naru out of the way!

It went through.

Into his chest!

"HUAGH!" Nephrite felt the impalement. It felt like a thousand needles stabbing his chest!

Naru gasped in horror as she could see it come out from his back!

"Ah," he gasped in pain as he landed on the ground.

"Nephrite-sama!" Naru exclaimed.

"You've let your guard down," Grape said as Housenka and Suzuran appeared beside her. "Those thorns will keep sucking your energy until you die!"

Nephrite could feel his flesh wound getting even worse.

"What a miserable way to die," one of them sneered.

"If you want the girl to live, then hand over the Black Crystal!" Housenka demanded.

"Tch," Nephrite growled as the pain was getting intense. "Very well."

He looked back at her. "Hurry, run!" he whispered.

"No!" Naru answered.

"Run!" Nephrite shouted in desperation.

"No! I'm not leaving you to die here!" Naru exclaimed in defiance as she tried to pull the thorns out.

Nephrite pushed her away. "Baka! Run!"

"No!" Naru repeated once more with panic as she tried to pull them. Unfortunately, she felt the electrical shock of the thorns as she cried out in pain. Yet, she was still determined to pull them out.

Nephrite looked surprised that she was willing to risk her life for him. After everything that happened...

Grape smirked underneath her mask. "Did you think you can pull those thorns out with the strength of a human?"

Naru did not falter as she continued to try her hardest to pull them out.

"Hurry! Hurry and run!" Nephrite hissed, yet it sounded like he was begging. "Please!"

She continued to persist, doing her hardest to pull the thorns out.

"That's enough. It's okay," he said, slightly calm.

In some span of a miracle, a thorn began to slowly pull out.

"What?!" Nephrite gasped as he could feel the movement.

"Impossible!" Grape exclaimed, surprised at this.

"Nephrite-sama, please don't die!" Naru pleaded as she continued to pull out.

"Damn it! I'll take care of them at once!" Housenka declared as she cast fireballs. "Die!"

BOOM!

A huge cloud of smoke covered the area. But the Black Crystal fell to the ground. As soon as it cleared out, Nephrite had been seen blocking Naru from the explosion. Unfortunately, his back was completely charred!

Nephrite gasped in pain, but he didn't care. He looked down and smiled. "Are you...alright?"

As soon as he said that, he collapsed forward.

Naru yelled in horror as soon as she saw the injuries on his back! "Nephrite-sama!"

"Good work, all of you."

Soon, a petal of cherry blossoms came into view as Zoicite appeared.

Zoicite smirked as he floated the Black Crystal towards him. "It looks like I have the Black Crystal now. You should be happy to be able to die with the girl you love."

His smile turn into a nasty scowl. "After all, that's why you've turned traitor now, haven't you? Turning your back on your comrades just to become intimate with an inferior human."

His expression had turned back to a smile. "You three can have plenty of fun with them, alright?"

With that, Zoicite left.

The thorns had become even more intense in Nephrite's wound.

"You coward..." he growled as the pain got even worse.

Naru felt pale and terrified at the thought of Nephrite dying.

"Are you ready?" Grape asked as she prepared her thorn arm.

Nephrite, who was wounded at this point, resigned himself to his fate. "Naru-chan, run!"

But Naru couldn't leave him behind. "No!"

"YAAARGH!"

A blade sliced on Grape's arm, causing her to recoil in shock. Her two sisters did not see it coming as the blade moved back to the direction it came from. Looking around, they saw that it had landed back into the hands of a silhouette. But he wasn't alone.

Three other silhouettes appeared right before them.

 _ **(Tsuki ni Kawate Oshioki yo! from Sailor Moon Crystal OST)**_

"You're really mean, trying to interfere with two people in love!" Sailor Moon exclaimed.

"Sailor Senshi!" Housenka growled.

"And the armored warrior!" Suzuran added in disdain.

"In the name of the moon, I will punish you!" Sailor Moon declared as she did her pose.

"Stand under a cold waterfall and reflect on your conduct!" Sailor Mercury demanded when she did her's.

"In the name of Mars, I will chastise you!" Sailor Mars exclaimed as she pointed at them.

"We'll take care of you first! Die!" The Plant Sisters yelled as they prepared their attacks.

With that, they shot their attacks at the heroes. Tenebrae was quick to react by putting up an energy shield as soon as the other girls spread out.

 **BOOM!**

As soon as the smoke cleared out, Tenebrae was still standing unscathed and in one piece.

"Tch, infidel," Housenka growled as she cast another wave of fireballs at him again.

 **"Sabão Spray!"**

The bubbles had neutralized the projectiles into hard balls as they fell to the ground on the spot.

"Now!" Mercury exclaimed as the area was surrounded in mist.

"What?! Where are you?!" Grape exclaimed, as the three of them were extremely alarmed at the disadvantage.

 **"Moon Tiara Action!"**

 **"Fire Soul!"**

The Shadow Stream had been shot out once more. Both the shadow beam and fireball had combined with the tiara as it aimed towards them. The Plant Sisters noticed the incoming projectile and screamed in horror as they were engulfed in the explosion!

As soon as everything cleared out, the Plant Sisters were turned to dust.

 _ **(End OST)**_

Nephrite laid in Naru's arms as the thorns were still stuck inside him.

"Nephrite-sama..." Naru muttered as she choked back a sob.

Nephrite looked at the heroes. "Sailor Moon..."

"Yes?" said heroine asked as she looked at him.

"It looks like your identity may remain a secret," he said with a smile. Nephrite gasped in pain as the wound got even worse.

The four realized what was going on and Sailor Moon was first to speak. "No, please don't die!"

Nephrite gasped in pain as Tenebrae went to his side. He looked up at the armored man and smiled.

"We never finished our fight," he muttered. "I remembered...everything now. You always won...in the past. I was full of hate back then. But now..."

He coughed as Naru looked frantic.

"...I learned to love again," he finished.

With that, Nephrite placed a hand on Tenebrae's helmet as he began to transfer some sort of energy to him. The lights in Tenebrae's visor began to flicker as he could feel Nephrite's memories come to him.

When that is completed, Tenebrae's visor stopped flickering. Both men looked at each other as Nephrite smiled.

"You will learn everything in due time..." he said before he could feel his vision fading.

"Nephrite-sama!" Naru exclaimed, extremely worried.

Tenebrae stepped back as the former Shitennou looked at Naru.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Naru blinked back tears with a confused look. "What?"

 _ **(Elisabeth Team Ending from King of Fighters XIII OST)**_

"I don't think we'll get to eat a chocolate parfait together," Nephrite elaborated weakly, though he still had that smile on his face.

Naru gasped softly as he realized what he meant. "No..."

Slowly, he placed a hand on her cheek. "I have ended up lying to you to the very end. Please forgive me."

Naru closed her eyes, trying to fight back tears as she softly rubbed her cheek into Nephrite's caressing hand.

He smiled as he could feel his final moments fleeting. "I'm glad I met you."

With that, his final breath was drawn as his arm went limp. Naru's eyes shot open as she could feel it.

"Nephrite-sama..."

Nephrite's body began to fade as it turned into light.

"N-No! You can't! You promised!" Naru exclaimed frantically as she could feel her love fade into her arms. "You said that we'd eat chocolate parfait together!"

She tried to hug him as she cried, but in the end, his body was gone. The cloth that was on his arm had fallen to the ground.

Naru noticed it and the dams broke free. "NOOOOOO!"

The Sailor Senshi mourned for them as well, as Naru cried through the forest.

"This is...this isn't fair!" Naru exclaimed tearfully as she buried her head to the ground. "Nephrite-sama!"

Tenebrae could not shed tears, but he understood what it was like to lose someone. He looked up to the sky as the light that came from where Nephrite laid down had floated towards the night sky. Nephrite had died following his heart. And in the end, his soul had become one within the stars.

* * *

 **A/N: And the Nephrite arc concludes in heartbreak. Personally, I was planning whether or not I want to keep Nephrite alive or not. I mean, they did keep the Ayakashi Sisters alive in the second season. With my semester looming around, this story might have to be on hiatus. I might write a series of one-shots centering around this universe to make it up to you guys. Whether it be drabbles, lemons, shipping or whatever, you guys can make requests. That does not mean I'm not stopping the process of writing another chapter of this!**

 **Since I'm halfway through the season, I'm going to change up the opening and ending theme. Give me your song suggestions so that I can add to my playlist *cough* I mean, put into consideration.**

 **Once again, questions and reviews are welcomed.**


	16. Ep 16: Misunderstood Girl, Enter Jupiter

In the deepest, darkest layers of the Dark Kingdom, everything was quiet and silent as Queen Beryl began to chant a magical incantation. Maybe this would be the chance to free her master from the long imprisonment.

"Awaken, oh great ruler," she said as Beryl knelt on the ground to summon her master.

A light had shone brighter as the energy that had been gathered from the previous endeavors were being consumed.

"With this supremely blissful energy, return to life my great ruler!"

With that, the ball of energy had turned into a beam as it began to form towards some sort of prison-like cocoon. From the back, rocks slowly began to protrude back and forth as a bubble formed in the cocoon. There were streams of darkness that flow within. Finally, a voice could be heard.

"The energy of humans have revived me from my long sleep."

Queen Beryl bowed before it. "I have long awaited this day!"

"But at times, my consciousness is still drawn into the depths of slumber." it lamented. "Find the Legendary Silver Crystal. The crystal is necessary for me to completely revive!"

"But we know nothing of it's whereabouts," Queen Beryl said. Even with the search widened, there were still no signs of the crystal.

"When the Seven Great Youma have been revived along with the rainbow crystals, the Legendary Silver Crystal will shine!"

Beryl bowed once more as an idea hatched. She will need to discuss this with her subordinates. Besides, the Seven Great Youma could be a perfect match for those damn Sailor Senshi.

* * *

Tsubasa noticed something different in the mirror. Something that made him nonchalant, then began to grow with suspicion as he squinted right into his eyes.

His eyes looked...brighter than usual.

His usual dark blue was becoming lighter and shinier. Did he put on something or was it because he stayed outside in the sun for too long? The latter is out of the question since that was both scientifically impossible and he always wore his school cap.

Still, he could see a bit of corona in his eyes. Just what was happening to him?

Another thought came to mind. Ever since Nephrite implanted his mind with his knowledge before his death, he felt somewhat stronger and more...different. He never felt like this in his human form, especially when he still had the Shadow Helmet with him. However, it seemed to increase tenfold whenever he was Tenebrae.

One of the pieces of information Nephrite gave him was a location. A place where his deceased adversary use to operate in. He would need to check it out soon but for now, he needed to get to school.

* * *

"Oh, no! I'm late! I'm late!" Usagi exclaimed as she rushed to school. With everything that had happened recently, she had forgotten to set her alarm!

"Hey, Usagi! You forgot something!" Luna called out as the string of Usagi's lunch box was in her mouth.

"Oh, thanks! Can you bring it with you?!" Usagi begged as she continued to rush.

As she turned around the corner...

 **WHAM!**

Usagi fell on her butt as she ran into someone.

"Sorry," she said as she look up to see who she ran into. As she saw who it was, she paled. Luna dropped the lunch bag to drop her jaw.

It appeared that they had ran into a trio of gangsters. They might not be Yakuza, but they could fit the part due to how scary they looked.

"Ow, ow, ow! You broke my leg!" the scrawny one yelled as he clutched his foot.

The muscle and the one in sunglasses glared at Usagi, who blanched even more as her eyes went wider.

"Oy! Whatcha gonna do about that, missy?!" the sunglasses guy sneered.

Usagi backed away in fear as she felt intimidated by his presence.

"Stop this instant!"

Everyone turned to see a tall ponytailed brunette girl in school uniform, though her skirt was really long. She had a cold expression as she had her arms folded.

"I saw everything! She bumped into him and you're getting on her case?" She narrowed her eyes even further. "Talk about cheap."

"What did you say?!" The sunglasses guy yelled.

"Hey," the muscular thug growled. "You might be a cutie, but you're not getting away with that!"

Before he could put his hand on her, the girl grabbed him by the wrist before flipping him over!

"You bitch!" the sunglasses guy shouted before trying to deliver a punch.

She dodged and kneed him hard in the gut!

Usagi watched with wide eyes. "Sugoi!"

The scrawny guy, seeing that he couldn't take a chance to attack, made a break for it.

 **WHAM!**

Unfortunately, he was knocked out by a cyclist.

"Are you alright?!" the cyclist exclaimed, panic set in his voice. "Sorry!"

Usagi turned to see who the cyclist was.

"Tsubasa-kun! You're late too!" Usagi exclaimed.

"Yeah," Tsubasa said while he sheepishly rubbed his head as he made his way to Usagi. "I forgot to set up my alarm clock. Hanging out with you must be rubbing off on me."

"Yep!" Usagi began to realize what he said. "Hey!"

"Are you alright?"

Both of them turned to the delinquent girl, whose expression seemed to relax. In fact, she looks like she's almost close to giggling.

"Oh, yes!" Usagi answered with a frantic nod.

The girl smiled as she turned to leave. "Be careful."

Usagi blushed at how radiant she was. The girl's rose earring shone brighter in the daytime.

 _'They look really nice,'_ she thought with a hum.

Luna stepped forward with a concentrated look on her face. She could feel something radiating off this girl. It was the same as she sensed both Ami and Rei before. Maybe...

"Who was that?" Tsubasa asked Usagi, confusion on his face.

"Oh, she just helped me out of jam!" she replied as they went to school. "I'll tell you all about it!"

* * *

Queen Beryl was discussing the plans with the two remaining members of the Shitennou in the throne room. Disappointing, really. Nephrite was the strongest asset to the ranks. A shame that such a traitor had to die like this.

"When the Seven Great Youma have been revived along with the rainbow crystals, the Legendary Silver Crystal will shine," she said.

"I seem to recall that a long time ago," Kunzite remembered. "Our allies, the Seven Great Youma, were sealed away by our enemies.

He recalled how intimidating their presence was.

"Into the seven shards of the Legendary Silver Crystal, our allies were sealed away and dropped onto the Earth," Beryl explained. "And those seven shards are called the rainbow crystals."

"What of the Seven Great Youma?" Zoicite asked.

"They were reborn as humans and have lost their memories as youma," Kunzite answered.

"I see," Zoicite said. "So if we recover the rainbow crystals from those humans, we can get a hold of the Silver Crystal, correct?"

Queen Beryl nodded. "And the strongest soldiers, the Seven Great Youma will also be revived."

Casting something over her crystal ball, a black crystal had come out. The same one Nephrite had. As it floated, Zoicite had caught it. He himself was surprised that it was headed to him.

"I have modified it so it will only respond to the rainbow crystals," the sorceress explained.

Zoicite smiled and bowed. "Thank you." This was it! This was the chance to prove his worth as a member of the Dark Kingdom! He will finally show Nephrite who was the most worthy!

Yet...

Why was there a small pang in his heart?

Shaking it off, he turned around and threw it in the air. "Zoi!"

In an instant, the Black Crystal stopped and began to twirl. When it stopped, glowing lines began to move up towards the edge. A projection formed over the crystal.

"One of the crystals is in this man's body," Zoicite explained.

The man looked like a shady individual. In fact, one could say that he looked like those otaku that people on Earth seemed to be calling them. Sunglasses, cap and some bad-looking clothes.

* * *

It was lunchtime as Usagi and Tsubasa walked to the courtyard to enjoy a nice lunch in the fresh atmosphere.

"Oh, boy! My tummy is growling!" Usagi exclaimed as she took her pouch, humming a tune as she was walking. Tsubasa still had his school cap on since the sun was glaring right into his eyes.

"Only you would be excited for lunch," Tsubasa muttered. Seriously, she has a huge stomach that made him baffled. "I wonder why Naru isn't joining us?"

Usagi sighed. She couldn't tell him about the whole Nephrite incident. It'll draw suspicion towards her identity as Sailor Moon!

Just as Usagi turned around a tree, she almost tripped and noticed that someone had occupied her spot! Quickly, she hid behind.

"What's-" he was cut off by by Usagi's palm on his face. "-mmphmg?"

"That's the girl with the rose-shaped pierced earrings!" she whispered to him.

Tsubasa slowly moved away. "She's the one that saved you from those thugs this morning?"

Usagi nodded and slowly turned to observe her. She was merely sitting there, eating her own lunch. All in all, she looked...

Lonely.

"Usagi-chan!"

Both Usagi and Tsubasa jumped in shock as Umino appeared out of nowhere! Seriously, the bespectacled boy was really unpredictable!

Grabbing him by his collar, Usagi shook him frantically. "Don't show up out of nowhere!"

Umino looked over his crush's shoulder and saw the girl as well. "Hey, that's the girl that transferred into Class 6 today."

Usagi and Tsubasa blinked and turned their heads.

"Her name is Makoto Kino, who is known for her tremendous strength!" Umino explained. "Rumor has it that she was kicked out of her previous school because she got into a fight."

He began to write down in his notebook. What he writes down is a mystery. "You'd better stay away from her, Usagi-chan. If you're not careful..."

Just as he turned back, both of them were gone! He looked around, before exclaiming in shock as Usagi ran up towards the Makoto girl with Tsubasa in tow.

"Ah! Usagi!" he cried out in horror.

Usagi hid behind the bushes as she took a closer look at her.

"Why are we hiding in the bushes again?" Tsubasa asked in a hushed tone.

"I gotta see what she's eating," she whispered back as she looked over at the girl's bento. "Wow! Her lunch looks so cute and yummy! Her pouch is adorable too! Plus, those seasoned rice balls look so delicious!"

Suddenly, Makoto turned around with a cautious and cross look on her face. "Who's there?!"

Usagi cried out in shock while Tsubasa facepalmed. Makoto's expression changed into surprise as she realized that this was the same girl she met this morning! The odango girl gave a sheepish laugh.

"Hello!" she greeted.

"Oh, it's you. I didn't know you went to this school as well," Makoto said, a smile forming on her lips.

"I'm Usagi Tsukino! Nice to meet you!" the odango-girl introduced herself as she stepped out of the bush. "This is my friend, Tsubasa!"

"Hi," the boy said as he gave a wave.

Makoto noticed him and smiled. "You were there this morning as well."

She scooted over to give some space. "Why don't you both join me?"

Usagi looked ecstatic as she sat next to her. "Sure! Thanks for the save this morning!"

Tsubasa smiled as he joined them. "Also, thanks for helping my friend."

From the tree, Umino had a look of disbelief and horror! Why were they cavorting with a bad influence?!

Makoto noticed that Usagi was eyeing her food, so she gave her a rice ball. "Would you like one?"

"What?!" Usagi looked incredulous. "But I don't eat too much, though..."

 _'Ha!'_ Tsubasa exclaimed mentally. Even Umino looked bemused.

"But if you insist..." she took one. "Itadakimasu!"

With a bite, she was practically glowing.

"I'm glad you like it," Makoto said with a smile before a frown appeared on her face. "I don't know why, but everyone seems o be scared of me whenever I try to talk to them."

Tsubasa shook his head with a sigh. He wished that people shouldn't judge a book by it's cover.

"It's their loss," he said as he ate from his sandwich. "They don't realize what a really nice person you are."

Makoto smiled at that compliment. Still, she'd wish that people actually talked to her to get to know her.

"Hey, Mako-chan!" Usagi stopped herself before giving a sheepish laugh. "Sorry. You're okay with Mako, right?"

Makoto blinked. "Sure."

"Your mother must be a genius chef!" Usagi complimented.

The girl blushed as she looked down at her bento. "Oh, this? I made it myself."

The odango girl looked shocked. "What?! That's amazing! You've gotta teach me! Maybe I should get you to fix my lunch! Just kidding!"

Umino relaxed as he turned away and hid behind the tree once more. "Usagi-chan's a real genius when it comes to making friends."

* * *

"Hey, Mako-chan? Why don't you wear your school uniform?" Usagi asked as the trio arrived to hang out at the Game Center Crown.

"This is much more of my style," the tall girl answered as the doors opened..

"Your previous school uniform?" Tsubasa questioned. "Let's hope the staff don't reprimand you of uniform violation."

"Don't worry about that," Makoto assured. "Since people mistake me for a sukeban, I can get away with it,"

Tsubasa and Usagi looked at her like she just grew a second head. She's rather cheeky for a misunderstood girl, huh? Makoto didn't notice the looks.

"I wonder if Motoki-oniisan isn't working today?" Usagi wondered.

"Does he not work here in the evenings?" Tsubasa asked, genuinely bemused.

Usagi shook her head. "Motoki's also a college student so he has off-days."

"Who's Motoki? Oh, is he...?" as Makoto trailed off, trying to find the right sentence finisher, the odango girl gave off a sheepish laugh with a blush.

"...your older brother?"

"BRO?!" Usagi facefaulted at the surprising guess. The thought made her gag! Plus, she and Motoki could never pass off as siblings whatsoever!

Tsubasa was giggling at the guess. The thought was actually pretty funny.

"He's actually the part-time manager here," Tsubasa answered as he and Makoto went to an arcade cabinet. "You game?"

Makoto smirked at the challenge. "You're on."

Putting in a few quarters, they began to engage in competitive play. Usagi went to watch them play after recovering her bearings.

"Usagi-chan!" A voice called out.

The odango girl turned to see Ami and Rei, with Luna in the bluenette's arms.

"So this is where you are," Ami mused.

"What's up?" Usagi greeted as she went to the two.

"Well, Luna says that girl bothers her," Ami answered.

"That girl?" Usagi tilted her head before looking back. "You mean Mako-chan?"

"Right," the cat confirmed.

"C'mon, is that the best you got?" Makoto challenged.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Tsubasa whined playfully as he continued to press buttons frantically.

"I think you're thinking too much, Luna," Usagi assured the cat.

"Oh, come on! How'd you managed to do that?!" the tall girl exclaimed in frustration.

Tsubasa's smirk grew wider.

"Mako-chan!" Usagi called out.

"Yeah?" she and Tsubasa turned to see Usagi and the rest of her friends.

"Hey girls," the boy waved.

"Hi!" Rei greeted back while Ami waved.

"Let me introduce you two to her," Usagi said as Makoto stood up. "This is Makoto Kino, who recently transferred to my school today."

"Nice to meet you!" Makoto greeted with a smile.

"...you too!" Ami and Rei quickly greeted right after their state of surprise. She was taller than them!

"And this is the smart Ami and the meanie Rei," Usagi introduced her friends.

"Who are you calling a meanie?" Rei questioned with faux politeness, her strained smile hiding annoyance.

"Rei-chan!" Usagi answered with a glare.

"I didn't hear you," Rei said as she got into Usagi's face. "Who did you say?!"

"Rei-chan!" the odango girl affirmed her answer.

Tsubasa and Ami shared a look that said "Here we go again."

"What year, month, day, day of the week, hour, minute or second was I ever mean to you?!" Rei exclaimed.

Usagi pointed at her. "That's why you're mean!"

"I am totally not!" Rei argued.

"Am too!"

Makoto continued to smile genuinely. "You guys really seem to get along."

"What?! No way!" both girls exclaimed in disbelief as Ami and Luna sweatdropped while Tsubasa facepalmed.

"She's always picking fights with me whenever she sees me!" Rei exclaimed.

"Who picks fights?!" Usagi scowled.

"You do!"

Makoto folded her arms with a smile. "They say, the more you fight, the better friends you are."

Ami giggled. "She's got a point there."

Both Usagi and Rei stuck their tongues out at each other as they glared lightning into each other.

Makoto looked at Luna in Ami's arms. "Oh, she's so cute!"

The cat gave a soft purr.

"Oh, the cat with the crescent bald spot is Luna!" Usagi told her. "She's staying at my house!"

Makoto smiled as she continued to gently rub Luna.

"Wow!"

"That's amazing!"

"What is it?" Usagi wondered as they all looked to see what the commotion is about.

The crane booth was being surrounded by a crowd of onlookers. The player was a shady-looking fellow with glasses, baseball cap and hoodie. Recently, he had won a Sailor V plushie and placed it in his bag of prizes.

Makoto's attention was towards him immediately.

With patience and skill, the boy continued to take in the prizes. Everyone watched him as he lowered the crane towards a Sailor Mercury plushie. With a glint in his eye, his hand was suddenly on the glass. Tsubasa narrowed his eyes and saw the Mercury plush bounce up along with a dinosaur plush, both getting caught by the crane.

"Cool! He got two of them at once!"

Nobody else had seem to notice his cheat. He gave a smirk as he took his prizes.

"Oh, Usag-chan! Tsubasa-kun!"

Both of them turned to see their classmate, Yumi.

"Oh, Yumi-chan!" Usagi greeted.

"Did you see that?!"

Usagi nodded.

"That guy's called 'Joe, the Crane Game Raider'," Yumi explained.

"Crane Game Raider?" Usagi wondered. "What the heck is that?"

"He's a genius crane game player!" she answered. "They say that when he goes after an arcade, it losses every last one of its stuffed animals to him."

"Hmm..." Tsubasa was rather impressed by the record, but not by Joe's skill. In fact, he was annoyed that cheaters seemed to prosper.

"Wow, isn't that amazing, Mako-chan?" Usagi asked as she turned to look at her. However, what surprised her was that Makoto was blushing with a lovestruck face.

"He looks exactly like him?" Makoto muttered dreamily.

"M-Mako-chan?" Usagi called out uneasily. Tsubasa turned to give a weirded look.

 _'Senpai...'_ Makoto thought as she stared into his eyes.

Usagi began to wave into Makoto's face. "Um, earth to Mako-chan! Oy!"

She then put on a thinking pose. "What's suddenly gotten into her?"

Tsubasa sighed. _'Oh, Usagi. Even if you experienced a crush, you could never figure it out for others,'_

* * *

Joe whistled merrily as he was on his way back. Another day, another arcade cleaned out. However, he didn't notice someone following him from behind. Taking a shortcut, Joe leaped down to the lower road. Unfortunately for him, he had tried to keep his balance.

"Phew. That was close," Joe muttered as he continued on his way.

Suddenly, a wind of petals began to materialize right in front of him.

"I've finally found you!"

Joe stepped back in shock as Zoicite chuckled. "What is this?!" Joe exclaimed in fear.

"This will be over in a second," the Shitennou general said as he tossed the black crystal towards his target. "Zoi!"

Joe was stunned in a hypnotic trance before he felt a surge of pain within his body. "AAAARGH!"

Zoicite's smile never left his face as his target continued to scream in pain.

"Stop right there!"

The Shitennou general turned to see a girl with a rather long skirt. Makoto stood right at the scene with all her might.

"It's not nice to pick on people weaker than you," she said.

Joe could feel the pain within his body.

Zoicite snapped the crystal back into his hand. "Shoot!"

Makoto went right in front of Joe quickly as she prepared to defend her crush while Zoicite glared at the interference.

"You'll get hurt if you get in my way," the effeminate villain warned.

Makoto prepared to charge and deliver strikes aimed at the adversary. However, he was rather quick and swift as he dodged these attacks.

Zoicite giggled at those missed attacks. "To think you were an actual challenge. I was anticipating for much more."

"Not bad," Makoto muttered.

"Oh, how barbaric," Zoicite smirked. "Then again, humans have the graceful nature of primates."

That had set off the tall girl as she ran to deliver a punch. Zoicite had continued to dodge the incoming strikes. Makoto growled. She needed a strategy. A plan! Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. She might need to give this a shot.

Quickly, she took off her rose earring and delivered a war cry.

"HYAAAA!" she yelled as she threw it at the enemy.

 _'Pitiful. Now resorting to such lows,'_ Zoicite thought as he moved his head from the projectile.

However, Makoto chose this chance to leap towards him and deliver a swift karate chop!

 **THWACK!**

Zoicite landed on the ground as his face was struck! Standing his ground, he turned to glare at her.

"How dare you?! My precious face!" he seethed as he prepared to get serious, the side of his lip was bruised.

Makoto kept narrowing her eyes as she got into her fighting stance.

"Mako-chan! What's going on?! Is there a fight?!"

Usagi exclaimed in shock as she, Luna and Tsubasa bore witness to a brawl below the bridge.

The cat and the ravenette's eyes widened as they recognized that uniform the man Makoto was facing!

"Damn it," Zoicite muttered as witnesses were present. With that, he backed away to flee.

"Wait!" Makoto exclaimed.

Usagi ran down to get to Joe. "Hey, what's wrong?!"

Makoto turned around and remembered the victim, Joe. The enemy was gone now, so she ran to tend to the crane master.

"Are you alright?" Makoto asked.

"Makoto, what happened?" Tsubasa asked.

"LET GO!" Joe yelled as he stood up. "Just leave me alone!"

"Hey!" Tsubasa exclaimed. "She saved your life and you thank her by being ungrateful?"

"I didn't need saving!" the crane master denied angrily.

"Would you prefer that you were killed by that guy?" the younger boy rhetorically questioned.

"Tch," Joe growled.

"Tsubasa, stop," Makoto told him. Tsubasa looked at the tall girl before stepping back as he watched the other boy limp off.

"What's wrong with him?! We were worried for him and..." Usagi muttered before noticing the other girl follow the boy. "Mako-chan?"

The girl didn't listen as she kept following him.

"Geez, what is wrong with her?" Usagi questioned to herself as she and Luna followed them.

Tsubasa looked down at the bag of fallen plushies. Picking up the Sailor Mercury plush, he looked back at the distance. There was something up with Joe. And he had a feeling that the attack had a long-term effect. Placing the plush in his schoolbag, he quickly followed them. Sure, stealing is wrong. But hustling is also wrong as well. Maybe Joe wouldn't notice or care.

* * *

"Geez, how long are you gonna keep following me?!" Joe growled as his annoyance was starting to reach an all-time high with that sukeban right behind him. The pain in his chest didn't help matters.

"W-well, it seems like someone's after you, so..." Makoto trailed off with a lovestruck daze before giving a brave face. "I'll be your bodyguard!"

"There's no reason for anyone to go after me!" he insisted in an exasperated tone.

Makoto tried to think up an excuse to be around him. Not just to protect him, but maybe try to get closer to him. Suddenly, she snapped her finger.

"You've won so many of those crane games, so..." she mimicked a gun pose. "Bang! Maybe the arcades hired a hit man!"

That gave Joe a chuckle. "That's ridiculous."

She blushed as his lips curled upward.

"Hey, maybe you can teach me how to play those crane games," Makoto suggested.

Joe rolled his eyes. "You could never do it. If it's your first time, you'd probably fail several times."

His eyes widened as the pain in his chest began to jolt!

"What's wrong?" Makoto asked, concern in her tone.

Joe didn't seem to listen as he walked into a cafe.

"Hey!" she exclaimed to call him again.

He turned with a agitated glare. "I want to get a cup of coffee alone!"

With that, he entered the building to gather his thoughts. Makoto could only look away sadly.

"What a jerk!"

She blinked to see Usagi right beside her, glaring at the door. Tsubasa was standing next to her while Luna was perched up on the odango girl's shoulder. Joe reminded Usagi of a certain Mamoru Chiba. Makoto, nonetheless, smiled and blushed.

"That's why I like him," she sighed.

Usagi, Luna and Tsubasa looked at her with a stupefied expression.

"He looks exactly like my senior at school who broke my heart," Makoto said as she looked at the window where Joe was next to.

The odango girl stared at her before whispering to Luna. "That's totally the face of a girl in love."

 _'You just figured that out now?!'_ Tsubasa thought. Still, why on earth would a girl want to fall in love with a painful reminder of the past? Sure, he had a crush his senior before but that was a different situation! However, he might as well not get in the way of her affection. He barely just knew her so he had no right to say anything.

Tsubasa turned back to the window and saw Joe hunching in pain, even more worse off. The coffee table was shaking as the guy tried to breathe. What did that Dark Kingdom lackey do to him?

His body stiffened as he notice Joe looking outside the window and right at them.

"You guys don't need to keep me company, you know," Makoto said as Usagi gave out a yawn.

"Now, now..." Usagi insisted as she gave a laugh. "We're all friends here."

 _'Barely,'_ Tsubasa thought. He noticed Joe motioning to Makoto. "Kino-san, that guy wants you to join him."

Makoto looked to see if it was true, and lo and behold, it was.

"You did it!" Usagi gushed.

"What should I do?" Makoto blushed as she pressed her fingertips together.

"Geez, what are you saying after all this time?!" Usagi exclaimed as she and Luna gave a face.

"I know I'm in the position to say this, but I would suggest that you be yourself," Tsubasa said. "Maybe he can see how much of a nice girl you are."

Makoto had a look of surprise on her face before she smiled as confidence was brewing in. "You're right. Thanks. I'm going in now, so wish me luck!"

With that, she entered the cafe.

"Yeah! Go for it!" Usagi cheered on.

"How do you think it'll do?" Tsubasa asked.

"That Joe might be a jerk, but I hope that Makoto gets him," Usagi said.

"Well, it seems to be going well," the ravenette remarked. However as he looked back at the window, his eyes widened as he saw the same attacker from just now appear in the cafe!

Joe and Mako looked panicked at the sudden appearance. Zoicite pushed back Makoto with some sort of telekinetic force as she and Joe collapsed!

"Usagi!" Tsubasa exclaimed as the odango girl and her cat witnessed what was going on!

Both of them ran right inside as they notice Joe crawling to the exit.

"You're going to leave a girl behind and run?!" Usagi scowled.

"I don't care about that girl! She just followed me!" Joe exclaimed in panic.

A scowl of disgust formed on Tsubasa's delicate features as Usagi's rage grew.

"What did you say?! And you call yourself a man!" she roared.

Joe stood up and got into her face. "I don't care! A huge girl like her isn't my type!"

With that, he ran out of the cafe. Tsubasa turned to see Makoto. Her heartbroken look made him want to comfort her, but now was not the time to do so.

 **CRASH!**

Zoicite turned around and destroyed the cafe window with his telekinetic force before leaping out, going after the coward.

"Usagi, stay with Kino-san! I'm going to call the police!" Tsubasa exclaimed as he ran out to chase after the villain.

"Tsubasa-kun! Wait!" Usagi called out in fright. He can't take on that guy! Tsubasa didn't have any powers! Even though he was going to call the cops, they're also normal humans!

Turning to Makoto, she knelt beside her. "Mako-chan, are you alright?"

"That's what he said to me..." Makoto muttered. Usagi knew what she was talking about. Makoto's senpai from her old school.

Before she could say anything, the Amazonian girl stood up with anger on her face. "Damn it!"

In a flash, she ran out.

* * *

Joe ran as fast as he could, losing breath. Turning back, he noticed that no one was following him. He sighed in relief as he stopped.

"So this is where you are."

The crane master yelled in fright as his pursuer was right in front of him! He began to pray for help.

"Let me go! Please! I didn't do anything wrong!" he begged to his knees.

Zoicite smiled. "Don't worry. You are one of us."

"W-what are you talking about?!" Joe asked, his tone conveying how frightened he was.

"I'll be taking the rainbow crystal now," Zoicite said as he used the black crystal on Joe again.

 _ **(Ultraman Ace in Danger from Ultraman Fighting Evolution 3 OST)**_

Joe's body felt like an electric shock as a red crystal in his body began to leave. Zoicite took the glowing crystal in his hand with a smile of 'job well done'.

Makoto had arrived on the scene and looked at the horrific sight in shock.

"So this is the crystal," Zoicite mused to himself.

"Stop right there!"

Makoto looked in shock as the local superhero had arrived! "Sailor Moon!"

Zoicite merely giggled. "You're a bit late, Sailor Moon."

"Who are you?!" Sailor Moon demanded.

"Let me introduce myself," with that, he floated up into the air with a relaxed sitting pose. "I am one of the Shitennou, Zoicite."

"What?!" the odango heroine was stunned that there was a third one in the ranks.

"I'll leave the rest to you, Youma Gesen!" Zoicite called out as he disappeared in a swirl of petals.

"He's gone!" Makoto exclaimed while Sailor Moon turned to see Joe's body glowing! In a tornado flash, nobody knew what was going on! As the winds dissipated, Joe was gone. But in his place was youma Gesen, a tall muscular-looking cyber soldier.

"GESEN!" the youma roared.

Sailor Moon cried out in panic. "He's turned into a youma!"

Gesen's arm had aimed toward Sailor Moon as it turned into a spiked mallet! With a swing, the mallet landed on the ground where Sailor Moon stood before she leaped out of the way! She had dodged each and every swing, but had landed clumsily due to her panic. The last dodge made her fall to the ground. The cyber youma was about to finish her off when suddenly...

"GESE-AAAH!" he was lifted off the ground by Makoto!

"I'm a huge fan of Sailor Moon! How dare you do this to her?!" the brunette exclaimed, though she didn't notice the '4' sign on her forehead.

"That's..." Luna muttered in shock.

"Take this!" She threw him roughly right into the bushes!

"Amazing!" Sailor Moon exclaimed.

The youma stood back up in rage. "GESEN!"

With that, his arm turned into a crane claw as it aimed at the superheroine!

"Watch out!" Makoto exclaimed!

Moon turned around and screamed in horror! Before she could brace for impact, she could see darkness eclipsing right in front of her! Looking up, she saw that it was a familiar fellow ally.

"Tenebrae!" Sailor Moon cried out in relief. Makoto blinked in awe as she saw the metal hero in person.

Unfortunately, Tenebrae's arm was caught by the crane! Gesen began to swing Tenebrae around several times before smashing him into the ground!

"EUGH!"

"Tenebrae!" the odango heroine cried out, only this time, it was out of worry as she heard his grunt of pain. Makoto was about to do something...

"Wait!"

Makoto looked down to see Luna. In front of her is a green pen.

"You're a sailor senshi!" the black cat exclaimed.

Makoto's eyes almost popped out. "Luna, you spoke!"

Ignoring that, Luna proceeded to explain. "Hold this transformation pen and say, 'Jupiter Power Make-Up!' and help them!"

 **(End OST)**

The tall girl slowly picked up the pen and looked to see Gesen slashing Tenebrae with his hand, which was now and axe! Makoto's face was a look of determination as she nodded as she held up her pen.

 **"Jupiter Power! Make-Up!"**

 _ **(Sailor Jupiter's Theme from Sailor Moon Crystal OST)**_

She then began to spin around as streams of electricity emitted from the pen, then held still as the electrical energy formed into a series of rings around her. The rings spun around her and...

 **BOOM!**

In a flash of light, her entire sailor fuku appeared. Sailor Jupiter then turned around and assumed her finishing pose.

"Sailor Jupiter!" she exclaimed.

Moon had witnessed this transformation in shock. "M-Mako-chan is...?!"

"Take this!" Jupiter exclaimed as she delivered a flying kick to Gesen from the back! "Tenebrae, are you alright?!"

Tenebrae's breathing was steady, yet he gave a thumbs up in reassurance. Jupiter smiled before turning towards Gesen, the armored hero by her side.

"GESEN!" the cyber youma roared as he shot the crane once more at his enemies. With preparation, Tenebrae quickly grabbed the wire connecting to the hook before cutting it off with the Eye Slugger.

Sailor Jupiter crossed her arms over her chest with her index and pinky fingers extended.

"My guardian Jupiter! Brew a storm! Call the clouds! Bring down the lightning!"

Then the lightning rod hidden inside her tiara extended out, crackling with electricity. Lightning rained down from the sky, collecting around her rod until Sailor Jupiter extended her arms and sent it towards her enemy.

 **"Supreme Thunder!"**

With that, the electric charge shot towards Gesen, shocking the youma to kingdom come!

 _ **(End OST)**_

"Supreme Sundae?" Moon muttered in confusion.

"Okay, one more time!" Jupiter exclaimed.

"No! You can't!" Luna cried out. "That youma still has the heart of a human! He was originally a human being!"

"What?!" the odango girl cried out. Now what can they do?!

"Turn that youma back into human!" Luna exclaimed.

"But how?!"

Luna jumped in a backflip and summoned a wand, dropping it in Sailor Moon's hand. The wand had a crescent moon connected with a jewel.

"What's this?" she asked.

"It's the Moon Stick!" Luna answered. "You can use the Moon Healing Escalation to turn youma back into humans!"

Sailor Moon's expression brightened as she held up the Moon Stick and, as it emanated a trail of glitter and mist, moved it in a wide, circular motion and drew the outline of a circle around her body.

 **"Moon Healing Escalation!"**

Gesen growled before his body glowed brightly.

"Refresh!" he cried out as he was back to becoming Joe again, collapsing to the ground.

Luna walked up to Jupiter. "You are the fourth senshi, Sailor Jupiter!"

Jupiter turned around with a look of surprise. "Sailor Jupiter?"

The black cat turned to the odango heroine. "Sailor Moon, we now have all four sailor senshi. You have to become the leader and protect the princess!"

"Me?! The leader?!" Moon cried out in horror.

"That's right! The Moon Stick is proof that you're the leader!" Luna answered in affirmation.

Sailor Moon's expression softened as she looked at the Moon Stick. The crescent glimmered brightly in a curve thanks to the moonlight.

Jupiter turned around to see Tenebrae. "Tenebrae, you're okay!"

The armored warrior nodded as he offered a handshake. Jupiter looked at it and smiled before she accepted it.

* * *

"Take that! And that! And this! And that!"

Makoto smashed right into the whack-a-mole as her sheer brutality originating from anger had dominated the machine. The next day, they decided to go to the Game Center Crown once more to let Makoto blow off some steam.

"I hate...I hate men!" Makoto declared.

"So you hate me as well?" Tsubasa teased.

"Of course not! You're! My! Friend!" she exclaimed as she continued to unleash her fury. The statement was punctuated for emphasis.

Unfortunately, she had missed most of the moles and ended with a low score. She growled and added in another quarter.

"One more time!" she exclaimed as she delivered another barrage.

Usagi, Tsubasa and Luna could only sweatdrop.

"Hey, Usagi-chan! Tsubasa-kun!"

The trio turned around to see Motoki walking in.

"Motoki-oniisan!" Usagi greeted with a smile and blush on her face.

"What happened to you? Too much homework?" Tsubasa asked.

Motoki shook his head with a smile. "Please don't remind me. Anyway, I heard that Crane Game Joe was here yesterday. I wish I could've seen him!"

Tsubasa chuckled. "Really? Wouldn't want one of your machines to go out of commission now, would you?"

"Anyway, I need to introduce to a new friend of mine," Usagi said. "Her name is Makoto Kino."

The older boy turned his head with a tilt and smiled. "Konichiwa!"

Tsubasa looked at Makoto and facepalmed. She had that look again. The look of daydreamers and romanticists.

"He's exactly like my senior at school who broke my heart," she muttered with a blush.

"Eh?!" Usagi collapsed in exasperation. "Yesterday, you told us that he looked exactly like Crane Game Joe!"

"No, his voice sounds exactly the same!" Makoto swooned.

Another facefault. "Mako-chan!"

Motoki looked at Tsubasa in confusion, who only shrugged with a sheepish smile. This was going to be a doozy.

* * *

 **A/N: And that's finished! I finally finished college and I can continue writing! With Jupiter in the fray things are getting interesting. Oh, and keep an eye out for another story. This will take place in the Silver Millennium. The side story will focus on Tenebrae's origins and his relationships** **with those around that time period. Which focus would you like to see first?**


	17. Ep 17: Naru Mourns, Usagi’s Good Side

In the deep dark layers of the Dark Kingdom, Zoicite had been granted an audience to show his progress. So far, the queen had been pleased with him for now. He had to keep this up for sure.

"You have obtained one of the rainbow crystals already," Queen Beryl said. "But Zoicite, what is your next plan?"

Zoicite gave a smile. "The Black Crystal has already sensed another rainbow crystal."

With that, he threw the crystal up in the air as it froze to show the next target. Within the visual was a man of religion. A priest, as he was called. Despite his older features, his face held some sort of softness to them. He wore black clergy robes fit with a white collar underneath.

 _'Feh,'_ Beryl thought with a sneer. _'Such a religious fallacy. No god is superior to Queen Metallia and the Dark Kingdom.'_

"The next crystal is inside this man's body," he continued. "Permission to retrieve the crystal?"

Beryl smirked deviously. "Very well, then. I shall leave this task to you."

Let's see if his false god would protect him from the Dark Kingdom.

* * *

It was another day in school as everyone was sitting through classes like the usual boring routine. However, just one person was absent from all this. While everyone was writing down their notes, Usagi continued to look at the empty desk beside her. Her expression was very forlorn as her head was placed on her hand.

 _'Naru-chan's absent again,'_ she thought with a soft frown.

She remembered what had happened that night. A night that she had blamed herself endlessly. The death of Nephrite.

* * *

 _"Nephrite-sama..."_

 _"I'm sorry..."_

 _"Wha-"_

 _"I don't think we'll get to eat that chocolate parfait together."_

 _"No...No! You can't! You promised! You said we'd eat a chocolate parfait together!_ _ **NEPHRITE-SAMA!** "_

* * *

 _'Naru-chan...'_ Usagi sighed as the memory kept playing back. Meanwhile, Tsubasa was in deep thought as he stared down at his paper.

 _'Knowledge? Just what kind of knowledge is he trying to show me?'_ He thought. There was the place he needed to go and all he needed to do was follow his instinct.

* * *

Tsubasa walked through the forest as he tried to make his way through. He was startled as to why Nephrite was telling him to go to an unsettling forest. Then again, he was a member of the Dark Kingdom.

He sighed and wondered what Nephrite was like before all this catastrophe had started.

In fact, what had happened to Jadeite? Maybe Thetis? Or even all the youma? So many questions had left him filling his head since there seems to be some sort of history with everyone. Maybe, just maybe. What was with the Sailor Senshi and where did their powers come from?

Maybe his questions would be answered when he arrives at the destination.

Looking up, he noticed the building in front of him. It was an abandoned old mansion. Maybe a church or a library. Who knew. It was rather dusty yet grandiose. Slowly entering the building, he made small steps since he had wondered if there were any traps. So far, so good. All there was is a ray of light shining from a window that belonged to a church.

Walking up to the light, he had stopped just right in front of it. He was unsure what to do, but he might as well try something ridiculous. He placed a hand in the light...

 **BLINK**

...before a ball of light began to form in his hand! He was startled and was about to pull back before Tsubasa realized that he was feeling unharmed. He let out a soft gasp as images began to flood his head.

Blinking, he stepped back as he tried to gather his bearings once more. What was that? There was a land of silver and everything looked pristine and beautiful. Then there were people that looked very familiar. However, all these images appeared in a flash so he couldn't decipher them quickly.

However, he could feel something strange happening to his body, yet it felt something familiar. Opening his bag, he took out the Shadow Helmet and stared down at it. Looking at the light, he placed the helmet underneath it. The visor began to blink it's light. As the helmet glow brighter, so did Tsubasa himself.

Inside, he felt something awaken. Like a soul within him had began to glow brighter.

* * *

Usagi had decided to go to OSA-P to hang out with Naru. Maybe she could cheer her friend up by hanging out with her. Though, Umino was along for the ride. He was pretty much a last minute addition, yet she started regretting bringing him along due to how innocently insensitive he was. Why did Tsubasa have to leave early?!

"Sorry for showing up without any warning," Usagi said while Umino was sipping on orange juice through a straw rather loudly. "We were just sort of wondering how you were doing."

Naru still continued to look out through the window.

"Well, I was complete under the impression that you were absent because of a cold, but could it be that your heart was broken or something?" Umino asked, having been locked out of the loop.

 **WHAM!**

Umino had Usagi's fist planted into his cheek.

"You moron..." the odango girl hissed, starting to feel grated by his insensitivity.

"What's that for?" Umino whined as he adjusted his glasses.

"Don't you have anything else to say?!" Usagi whispered.

The bespectacled boy scratched his head in thought. "Okay, then..."

Suddenly, an idea popped up.

"Then why don't we go somewhere and eat a chocolate parfait?" he suggested.

 **WHAM!**

His face was planted to the floor, courtesy of Usagi.

"Why you! You're just so..." she hissed in annoyance.

"Usagi-chan."

She looked up to see that Naru finally spoke.

"You wanna go out somewhere?" she asked.

Usagi blinked in surprise.

"We can get something to eat," Naru suggested as she turned to face Usagi with a smile. However, her eyes were closed to hide her expressive eyes.

The odango girl blinked in surprise before she smiled brightly.

* * *

However, their destination took a slight detour as they stopped right outside a cemetery. Naru had to check on something there as Umino was surprised that Usagi was rather laidback about this.

"Excuse me, but whats going on with you two?" Umino asked, his tone bewildered. "You've been unusually quiet this whole time. Chinatown's right over there. Usagi-chan, you brought lots of money with you, right?"

Usagi ignored him and looked at Naru, who had a small frown on her face.

"There are so many tombs, but none of them have Nephrite's name on them," Naru whispered.

Tears began to form in her eyes as she tried to hold it together.

"Naru-chan..." Usagi muttered, clearly worried for her friend's loss.

"I know! I want some Peking duck!" Umino exclaimed, killing the mood. "I've never had it before. I can't wait! I'd finally get to taste Peking duck I've always dreamed of!"

In an instant, Usagi's hands were wrapped around Umino's neck, strangling the life out of him.

"Oh! So you want to become a Peking duck that badly, huh?!" Usagi exclaimed in absolute rage.

"N-no, I want to eat it," Umino choked out before he slowly tilted his head. "Where's Naru-chan?"

Usagi turned around and saw that Naru was gone.

* * *

Down at the cemetery, a priest was walking through these tombstones, having given last rites to a deceased man that was recently buried.

"Father!"

He turned to see Naru running towards him before she came to a stop.

"I want you to tell me something," she pleaded as she closed her eyes to shut away the tears. "What should I do when someone close to me has died?"

She remembered that night when she got to know the real Nephrite. Where she had bandaged the wound on his arm with a piece of cloth from her pajamas. Then when they looked into each others' eyes, she could see that genuine smile of happiness on his face.

She clutched onto the cloth in her hand as the memories came back. "He suffered so much, but I couldn't help him."

The priest closed his eyes in thought before looking at her. "You have a very beautiful heart. I'm sure that person's soul was saved."

She looked down as she fell to her knees. "But now that I've lost him, I have nothing left."

"That's not true," he assured. "Love will be right next to you before you know it."

He walked towards her to console her. "Turn around and you will find love."

"If I turn around, there will be love?" Naru asked. Just as she turned around...

 _ **Zoicite was staring down at her.**_

"Y-You're..." Naru muttered.

The priest looked in confusion.

"My, my," Zoicite teased.

Naru gasped as she remembered the memories of Nephrite's death and who was responsible for it.

"You're that person..." she muttered, some sort of fury rising in her.

"What a coincidence," he said, smiling. "Fancy meeting you here."

* * *

The Shadow Helmet began to blink several times, causing Tsubasa to jerk his head back. Someone was in danger, but who? Putting on the helmet, images appeared in his head.

A priest, black crystal, Naru, a youma.

A boxing youma.

Without hesitation, Tsubasa put on his helmet.

 **"Kurogane, yatte yaruze!"**

* * *

"Naru-chan!" Umino called out as he tried to find her.

"Naru-chan!" Usagi yelled, wondering where her best friend was. "Where in the world did she go?"

 **BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!**

Suddenly, she could hear a beeping sound in her handbag.

"What's that?" she wondered.

Out of the sudden, Luna pops up.

"It's an emergency! The Moon Stick is responding!" the moon cat explained.

"Luna?! Why are you here?" Usagi asked, surprised by her partner's sudden appearance.

"Never mind that. Hurry up and take the stick out of your bag!" Luna exclaimed.

"O-okay!" the odango girl replied as she took it out to see the light on the Moon Stick blinking.

"That stick is telling us the location of the Seven Rainbow Crystals," the cat continued explaining.

"The Seven Rainbow Crystals?" Usagi questioned.

"I'll explain everything later! There's a chance that a youma will appear where the stick is pointing to!"

"What?!" Usagi exclaimed in shock.

"Use the transmitter to call Mako-chan!" Luna instructed.

"Mako's around here, too?" Usagi muttered in surprise.

* * *

Makoto ran through Chinatown as she tried to reach for the signal.

"Okay, so the signal is at the cemetery?" Makoto recited. "I'm coming over there!"

With that, her sprint went faster.

* * *

Usagi ran around the cemetery, sticking the Moon Stick out as she tried to find a closer presence.

"The response is getting stronger," Usagi said, feeling her breath running out.

"We've got to hurry!" Luna exclaimed.

* * *

"Who are you?" the priest asked, feeling cautious.

"Wouldn't you rather learn more about yourself, rather than stay as a worshipper of some false god?" Zoicite asked.

"I am just a simple priest," he answered, remaining calm.

"Do you really think so?" the Shitennou general questioned with a small laugh.

Naru looked at suspicion at what the murderer was trying to do.

"This Black Crystal here will tell us who you really are," Zoicite said as he held up the crystal.

"That was Nephrite-sama's..." Naru gasped in realization. "Don't!"

"The girl lounged at him in a struggle.

"Let go!"

"I won't let you hurt anyone else!"

Usagi arrived on the scene as she gasped.

"Naru-chan!"

"Wait until Mako-chan comes!" Luna warned.

"Naru's in danger! I can't wait!" the odango girl exclaimed.

With that, she held out her transformation pen.

 **"Moon Prism Power! Make-Up!"**

* * *

Zoicite had gotten out of Naru's grasp as he pushed her down.

"Stop this violence immediately!" the priest exclaimed angrily.

"Why don't you worry about yourself instead?" Zoicite questioned.

"That's as far as you go!"

Zoicite's eyes widened in surprise.

 _'That voice...!'_

He turned to see Sailor Moon standing on top of a gravestone.

 _ **(Sailor Moon's Theme from Sailor Moon Crystal OST)**_

"Committing evil deeds in a sacred place," Sailor Moon stated as she glared at him. "You're not getting away with this anymore!"

The priest's eyes widened at such conviction.

"In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

Zoicite smirked. "So you finally show up. But you're too late. The rainbow crystal is mine."

Sailor Moon leaped down, yet the Shitennou general unleashed his crystal.

"Zoi!"

 _ **(End OST)**_

Just like Crane Game Joe, the Black Crystal's beam hit the priest, causing an agonizing amount of pain to the victim.

"No!" Naru gasped.

"Shoot!" Sailor Moon exclaimed.

The Rainbow Crystal inside him began to show itself.

"That's..." Luna gasped in realization.

"I see it!" Zoicite exclaimed before he called out. "Come forth, rainbow crystal!"

The priest screamed in agony as he was enveloped in purple smoke.

"Father!" Naru cried out.

However, the rainbow crystal flew up into the sky.

"The rainbow crystal!" Sailor Moon exclaimed.

Zoicite's eyes widened when he saw it fly out. Floating into the air, he began to look for it. "Where is it?"

As soon as the purple cloud faded away, Naru saw a figure in shadow.

She sighed in relief. "Father."

"Wrong."

 _ **(Ultraman Gaia in Danger from Ultraman Fighting Evolution 3 OST)**_

Her eyes widened as she saw who was that.

"I am not a priest!"

Stood there was once a priest, was now a boxing hawkman.

"I am the youma, Boxy."

"You can't be..." Sailor Moon muttered as she looked stupefied at such an outrageous appearance.

Boxy had orange wings, boxing gloves, headguard, boots and a belt that looked like a ringside bell.

He chuckled. "I can hear the crowd cheering me on."

The empty and solemn graveyard was now filled with chants of fans.

"I'm a champion! Wow!" He raised his arms in the air like Rocky Balboa.

Zoicite looked amused. "Boxy, knock out Sailor Moon."

Sailor Moon turned blue at that and turned to the floating Shitennou. "Hey, wait a minute! I don't know how to box!"

"Alright! We'll have a fight to see who's the real champ!" Boxy exclaimed.

"I told you I'm not!" the odango heroine exclaimed as she turned red from nervousness.

After a few seconds, the ring belt rang.

"Uso!" Sailor Moon cried out as Boxy ran towards her.

"I'm a champion! Lovely punch!" Boxy roared out as he delivered a punch that sent a boxing glove soaring towards her.

She cried out as she dodged out of the way, the poor gravestone being destroyed upon impact.

"Sailor Moon!" Luna cried out.

"Mako-chan! Hurry!" the odango heroine whimpered.

"I'm the king of kings!" Boxy declared as the boxing glove reappeared.

"Stop!" Naru cried out. "Please, father! Go back to being a normal priest!"

"Stop your babbling!" Boxy shouted as he delivered another punch.

"Naru-chan!" Sailor Moon gasped.

Naru screamed, too frozen in terror.

Umino ran towards Naru, in hopes of saving her from the flying glove.

"Naru-chan!" he exclaimed as he pushed her out of the way.

Sailor Moon looked in surprised. "Umino..."

"I am a champion! Lovely punch!" Boxy delivered another pounch.

"Watch out, Sailor Moon" Luna exclaimed.

The odango heroine cried out as she saw the glove aiming right at her.

 **BOOM!**

Luna gasped before she looked up. Sailor Moon opened her eyes as she saw herself being carried by Tuxedo Mask.

"Tuxedo Mask!" Sailor Moon gushed as she looked at her savior once more.

 _ **(Tuxedo Mask from Sailor Moon Crystal OST)**_

Tuxedo Mask landed on a gravestone as Zoicite gasped.

"A true boxer would never hit a beautiful young girl," Tuxedo Mask said. "Instead, he would embrace her gently."

"Boxy! Knock out that snooty guy, too!" Zoicite ordered.

"Alright!" Boxy exclaimed, feeling fired up. "Ora, ora! A lovely punch!"

Tuxedo Mask leaped out of the way, landing safely on the grass. Boxy charged once more. Tuxedo saw the youma coming towards them before gently placing Sailor Moon on the ground. He jumped high, causing the heroine to gasp.

Airborne, he took out his cane.

"I'm a champion! Triple punch!" Boxy shot out three boxing gloves at his target.

Tuxedo Mask twirled his cane, deflecting the projectiles. "This is nothing!"

As the fighting went on, Sailor Moon noticed a star pendant on the ground.

 _'This is...,'_ she wondered.

Luna saw Makoto arrive on the scene. "Mako-chan! Over here!"

The tomboy nodded as she took out her transformation pen. "Yosh!"

 **"Jupiter Power! Make-Up!"**

Moon noticed the transformation as she saw Jupiter. "Sailor Jupiter!"

"I see! So you're my next opponent!" Boxy exclaimed as he ignored Tuxedo Mask and ran towards the newcomer.

"My guardian, Jupiter," Jupiter began chanting. "Brew a storm! Call the clouds! Bring down the lightning!"

The lightning rod extended as lightning began crackling towards the rod.

 **"Supreme Thunder!"**

The electrical charge shot out, causing Zoicite to cover his eyes. Boxy gasped as his boxing glove was electrocuted, causing it to disintegrate.

"Now, Sailor Moon!" Jupiter exclaimed.

 _ **(End OST)**_

However, Boxy began to use his wings to ascend to the air. He lifted up his other arm and shot out a projectile towards Jupiter.

"Mako-chan!" Moon exclaimed.

Jupiter was caught off-guard by the youma's flight.

 **BOOM!**

The explosion died off as Moon, Tuxedo Mask and Luna gasped. Boxy roared out in victory.

"I am the winner!" Boxy declared.

However, his victory fanfare had died out when the smoke had subsided to see Tenebrae holding out the Shadow Barrier.

"Tenebrae!" Moon exclaimed in happiness.

 _ **(Phantom Gentleman Who Never Sleeps by Nash Music Library)**_

Jupiter sighed in relief while Luna and Tuxedo Mask smiled. Zoicite gasped as he finally witnessed the armored warrior in action.

"What?! Outside interference! This should be a disqualification!" Boxy shouted, enraged that he felt that his win was cheated.

Tenebrae disabled the barrier and jumped up into the sky, doing mid-air flips before kicking Boxy down to the ground. Tenebrae landed gracefully, waiting for the youma to get up. Once he did, the shadow warrior crossed his arms and clenched his fists as he spun around. Energy rings began to form around him as they moved out of him and went over to Boxy. The youma looked in confusion before the rings had closed in and trapped him.

"Hey! This is cheating!" the boxing youma yelled out, unable to fly away.

Tenebrae stopped spinning and looked to Moon, pointing at Boxy. Sailor Moon nodded.

 **"Moon Healing Escalation!"**

Boxy clutched his chest as he began to glow like Gesen.

"Refresh!" he cried out as a pillar of light illuminated while bells rang. Not ring bells, but church bells.

 _ **(End OST)**_

Soon, the priest stood there as he gave a serene smile. "Do you believe in god?"

The light disappeared as he was in white robes. "I do. Love thy neighbors."

Zoicite looked in disbelief as the youma was turned back into a normal human. He turned to see Tuxedo Mask. The tophat man looked back with a laugh as he held up the Rainbow Crystal.

"T-That's..." Zoicite gasped.

"The rainbow crystal is mine. Goodbye!" Tuxedo Mask announced as he ran off.

The effeminate man growled. "One day, I will take it back from you!"

"SHA!"

"EEP!" Zoicite cried out as he dodged the Disembring Halo which almost took his head off. Remembering that Tenebrae was here, he disappeared in a swirl of petals. Nobody was suicidal to fight him!

"Sailor Moon! We have to get that rainbow crystal back!" Luna said. However as she looked up, Sailor Moon was still in lovestruck mode.

"Tuxedo Mask..." Moon said dreamily.

Luna was crying comically while Jupiter sighed and Tenebrae facepalmed. The latter two looked down at Naru and Umino, who were still on the ground.

"Are you alright?" Jupiter asked. Naru looked up and nodded with a smile.

"Yep! We're doing alright!" Umino exclaimed in relief as he gave a thumbs up.

Tenebrae nodded before he flew off in the sky. Jupiter watched as he left.

 _'Seriously, who is this guy?'_

"Umino, you're bleeding!" Naru cried out.

Cue Umino having a panic attack.

* * *

At the back of the pier, Tuxedo Mask looked at the glowing rainbow crystal in his hand. Soon, the glow faded and standing in Tuxedo Mask's place was Mamoru Chiba. He looked up into the sky and smiled.

"I see. Now, I know my true identity," he said. "I am Tuxedo Mask."

* * *

It was evening as Usagi, Naru and Umino sat by the park bench. Naru was tending to the bespectacled boy.

"There! All fixed!" Naru exclaimed.

Umino's wound was covered in the same cloth that she used. He smiled.

"Thank you very much," he said.

Usagi looked at the cloth and gasped softly. "Naru-chan, that's..."

Naru smiled. "It's okay, because he got hurt trying to save me."

"O-Oh, well..." Umino muttered, blushing as he scratched the back of his head.

"Usagi-chan, sorry for worrying you," Naru apologized. "I'll go back to school starting tomorrow."

Usagi's cheeks glowed with happiness as her friend was back. "Naru-chan..."

 _ **(Star Locket from Sailor Moon OST)**_

Looking down at the star pendant in her hand, the odango opened it and watched as the crescent moon rotated while the background of the sky moved. Her smile began to fade as she watched with a forlorn expression. From afar, Makoto looked at Usagi as she held Luna.

"I'm sorry, Mako-chan. I asked you to come all the way out here because I wanted to show you Usagi's good side, but..." Luna said as she looked down.

Makoto smiled. "I've already seen her good side. She's very caring and loyal to her friends."

"Mako-chan!" Luna cried out in joy as the senshi of thunder accepted the klutzy heroine.

"Kino-san!"

Makoto and Luna turned to see Tsubasa walking towards them.

"What brings you out here?" he asked her.

She smiled. "I just wanted to take Luna on a stroll."

"Yeah, the sunset out here is beautiful," Tsubasa mused as he looked out of the sunset.

Usagi continued to watch the locket.

"That sounds really pretty," Naru said. "Where did you get it?"

"Well..." Usagi closed her eyes as she smiled before she answered. "Just something I picked up."

She continued to close her eyes as she listened to it until the night shrouded the sky, where the lights would bright up in all of Juuban.

* * *

 **A/N: Finally done! Not much Tsubasa/Tenebrae, since I want to give more focus on Usagi since she's the heroine. Anyway, with other stories I'm working on, it will take an order of schedule to plan things out. Since R, S and Super S had special movies, what do you think of movies for the 1st season and Sailor Stars? The first season will be focused on Tsubasa since you all know what happened right afterwards, but I'm still deciding on what the plots should be and who the villains are. I'm thinking between the kaiju Zetton, Gatonathor or Gloker Bishop. Sailor Stars movie special will have all the Sailor Senshi together against a big enemy, but Princess Kakyuu would be the main focus since she lacked screen time. Too bad that's a long time away.**

 **By the way, that Silver Millennium story is on the way once all the mysteries regarding the past have been revealed.**

 **Regarding pairings, I will be teasing it through character interactions.**

 **If you have any comments or questions, leave it in the review or give me a PM.**

 _ **New moves unlocked:**_

 **-Swallow Kick**

A flying kick from 600 meters up, performed after multiple midair flips.

 **-Catch-Rings**

Tenebrae can spin around so fast that he creates energy rings, used to capture/ensnare foes.


	18. Ep 18: Psychic Boy, Ami’s Admirer

**(Opening)**

The scene opens up with various flower petals flying through the dark screen. The darkness fades as Tenebrae walks towards the screen with his red visor glowing.

 _ **(Tears of Justiφ's by NEOSEAZON, a mashup of Namidare no Alice and** **Justiφ's)**_

Fragments appear in front as it magnifies various parts of Tenebrae in different sizes as his armor is shown without the darkness in them. The scene shifts to a more colorful background as the title appears.

 **'Sailor Moon the Shadow of Justice'**

 _ **"Hoshi mo tojikomeru fukai biru no kage,"**_ The next scene shows Usagi in school uniform running through a pink background before she trips clumsily. The scene transitions by a close up shot of Sailor Moon jumping in front before facing the screen with a wink, showing Sailor Moon in the back doing her signature pose.

 _ **"Maru de deguchi no nai mori da ne,"**_ The next scene shows Mamoru walking through a green background decorated with red roses in the corners, an umbrella in hand. He stops and glances at the screen. Tuxedo Mask lands in front before giving the screen a smile as he holds onto a rose, causing a transition in which the Tuxedo Mask in the background stands with his cane in hand and cape blowing in the wind.

 _ **"Tomodachi wa itemo nazeka sabishikute,"**_ The next scene shows Rei and Ami waiting for Makoto, who is catching up with them in a colorful prism background. Sailor V appears in front as one of her eyes is shown through the mask, causing the transition in which Sailor Mercury, Mars and Jupiter get ready in their battle stances.

 _ **"Itsumo egao ga uso wo tsuku wa,"**_ The next scene shows Tsubasa looking back before walking away in a black background surrounded by fog. Tenebrae fades in right in front of the screen as he looks straight at it, eyes slightly visible through the visor of his helmet.

 _ **"Kokoro no dokoka ni anata ga iru koto,"**_ The next scene shows Sailor Moon fighting a humanoid in shadow before they get into a close-up. The shadow slowly turns into Mamoru in a royal outfit, causing Sailor Moon's face to drop in horror as he swipes upwards to make Moon jump back.

 _ **"Mou mushi dekinai kedo,"**_ The scene shifts to each senshi delivering various of their signature attacks. Mercury's Sabão Spray to Mars's Fire Soul to Jupiter's Supreme Thunder. The scene ends with Sailor Venus's Crescent Beam, causing a flash of white on-screen.

 ** _"Garasu no ame ga furu,"_** The next scene shows Tenebrae flying through the skies on the magnified fragments.

 _ **"Yume wo ubau kurai ni,"**_ The screen shows Tsubasa putting on the Shadow Helmet, causing metal plates to appear and shift all over his body to transform him into Tenebrae.

 _ **"Omoide made kagi wo kakete,"**_ The next scene shows Usagi under the moonlight, tears shining as they fall down her cheek.

 _ **"Dare ni mo wakaranai itami dakishimeru machi,"**_ The scene shifts Mamoru, sword in hand as he charges towards Tenebrae. Tenebrae makes a V-shaped arm cross arm formation, charged using the arms by spreading them open and drawing them backwards.

 _ **"Hitori dake de kowareteyuku yo,"**_ This creates a line of light to consolidate energy before he performs an L-style beam towards the screen.

 _ **"Namida-me no mama de,"**_ The scene shows the Sailor Senshi standing under the moonlight with a silhouette of Tenebrae floating just right in front of the moon itself, scarf flowing through the breeze and red eyes glowing within the darkness.

 **XXX**

In the Dark Kingdom where there was an audience within the throne room, both Kunzite and Zoicite stood before Queen Beryl.

"There are seven rainbow crystals," Beryl stated. "If we do not collect them all, we cannot obtain the Silver Crystal."

She glared at them, remembering how Zoicite had let one escape his grasp. "I assume that you are aware of this?"

"Yes."

"Of course, we do have one in our possession," she scowled. "But another was taken by this Tuxedo Mask! I cannot accept any blunders."

Zoicite bowed solemnly. "I apologize."

"Please do not worry, Queen Beryl," Kunzite said as he laid out his plan. "It is certain that he will come after the other rainbow crystals. If we attack him then, we will surely take back the rainbow crystal from him."

"Then, get a hold of the other five rainbow crystals at once," Beryl ordered, feeling her patience draining. "Time is of the essence and our great ruler desires to be whole once more."

 **XXX**

Construction was really busy around Juuban. With a new building around the works, safety signs were posted around the area. The crewmen were really giving it their all for their work salary.

Ami and Tsubasa were walking close by, discussing about the recent mock test results from last week as they were on the way to school.

"100 percent again? You're really on a roll!" Tsubasa exclaimed in admiration.

Ami brushed the side of her hair. "It's no big deal. I just had to revise on the certain topics that came up. Anyway, how about you?"

"Well," He took out a piece of paper from his school bag and showed it to her

"64?" Ami read out, looking at the paper.

"I didn't really add enough to the answer because I thought that they were asking for just the answer itself," he explained.

She shook her head. "The teachers want you to expand your answer because they want to test you on how much you've learned."

Tsubasa scratched the back of his head. "It's kind of hard to memorize them since you don't know what to write."

Ami hummed. "How about I help you on the end of the semester exams? That way, you won't have extra lessons during the break."

"Really? I don't want to inconvenience to you," he said.

She shook her head with a smile. "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

Suddenly, a voice called out to them.

"Mizuno-san! Ishikawa-san!"

They turned around to see Ryo Urawa catching his breath. He was an average brunette that looked like he blended in with the crowd. Tsubasa had remembered having some classes with him. He seemed nice, albeit reserved.

Ami smiled at her classmate. "Oh, Urawa-kun! Good morning!"

Tsubasa waved at him. "Morning, Urawa-san."

Ryo waved back. "Good morning. I-I..."

The bluenette merely gave a smile, waiting for him to finish what he was going to say. But before he could finish his sentence, Ryo looked up and his expression turned into that of worry.

"What is it? Is something the matter?" Ami asked.

One of the steel structure beams from the construction was lifted up by a lift. However, it was unbalanced as it fell!

One of the construction workers gasped as such an impact would be violent.

"Watch out!" He exclaimed.

Tsubasa and Ami froze in their tracks and turned to see what happened.

 **SMASH!**

The beam smashed right into the truck's cement mixer!

 **BOOM!**

Because of how long the steel beam was, it landed right in front of the duo! The impact caused the wind to blow at them.

Ami looked in horror at the near-death experience she had witnessed while Tsubasa had fallen on his butt in shock. Both of them turned around to look back at Ryo...

...only to find that he was gone.

"Are you both alright?! You're not injured, are you?!" The construction crew called out as they ran to the two teenagers.

Both of them could only look at each other, wondering what had happened.

 **XXX**

Midterm exam results had been recently announced. All the students had gathered to find what positions they had placed in. There were mixed emotions of excitement and worry that washed over them.

For one Usagi Tsukino, she was the latter.

"Oh, no. Mom's gonna get mad at me again," She said flatly, having placed 203rd.

"Wow, that does not look good at all," Makoto said. "You should study more."

Usagi gave her tall friend a smug look. "You're one to talk, Mako-chan!"

Makoto could only give a sheepish look, having been placed 201st.

Both of them laughed before hanging their heads. "This is depressing."

"Huh? This is better than last time," Tsubasa mused, having placed 132nd.

"Wait, what did you get last time?" Usagi asked in confusion.

"133rd."

They both sweatdropped. That's not even a huge difference!

"Who's this Ryo Urawa in the top spot?"

Both of them turned to looked all the way to the end of the table. There it was, Ryo Urawa was placed 1st by at total of 900 points while Ami Mizuno was only one point behind.

"Ami-chan's second?!" Usagi exclaimed in shock.

"Wow, I guess there's always someone better," Makoto muttered.

Ami happened to walk by as both girls turned around.

"Ami-chan, you were so close!" Usagi exclaimed.

Ami smiled. "I know. One more point would have gotten me a perfect grade."

She then had a small frown. "But I guess I didn't study enough."

Usagi gave a strange look as a sweatdrop appeared on her head. _'She lives in a completely different world than I do.'_

Makoto approached her. "That Urawa guy that got a perfect score in every single subject is in the same class as you, right?"

"Yes! He just transferred to this school just the other day," Ami answered, her tone indicating her awestruck mood. "Isn't it amazing how he did so well quickly?!"

Tsubasa noticed someone from the crowd. "Speak of the devil. Urawa-san!"

Ryo noticed him and smiled. "Ishikawa-san!"

Suddenly, he turned and noticed Ami. "M-Mizuno-san..."

Usagi and Tsubasa noticed the light luminescent blush on his cheeks as the boy was starting to look nervous. All of the sudden, the boy ran off abruptly. Usage had light up in realization, remembering the kind of behaviour.

Tsubasa looked at her with a deadpan, realizing that what she's planning would not end well.

 **XXX**

Ryo hung out by the rooftop, looking at a newspaper article that was torn out. In it was about Ami Mizuno, who had ranked first for the exams in the nation. To him, it was more than admiration.

He remembered the first time he met her.

 **XXX**

 _Summer was really hot, yet the students paid no mind as they had to sit through the exams._

 _Ryo had to try and erase something after he realised that he wrote down a wrong answer. However, he rubbed it so hard that his eraser accidentally flew out of his hand._

 _"Ah!" he exclaimed in surprise as the eraser flew and fell right next to his neighbor's hand._

 _The person picked it up and handed it to him. "You should relax a little more."_

 _Ryo looked up to see Ami Mizuno, the smartest girl in the school, smile at him._

 _"Good luck," she whispered._

 _He took back the eraser with a wordless nod. Throughout the rest of the exam, he didn't even notice the light blush on his cheeks._

 **XXX**

"Mizuno-san..." Ryo trailed off.

"So you do like Ami-chan!"

"GAH!" Ryo jumped back as the surprise guest turned out to be Usagi.

"That's from when Ami ranked number one in the nation, right?!" The odango girl exclaimed before looking sly. "Have you had feelings for her since that long ago?"

Ryo frowned, scratching his head while trying to deny it. "N-no. I studied hard because my goal was to be like Mizuno-san. That's why..."

But she cut him off. "I see, but you surpassed your goal. Good going!" She congratulated, jabbing his arm with her elbow playfully.

"No, I'm not," Ryo frowned deeper before looking down at his feet. "I just happened to be right about what would be on the tests."

He looked down at the school courtyard from the rooftop, watching her play a ball-catching game with her friends. "She is far more gifted than I am."

"Besides, no matter how much I care for Mizuno-san..." he muttered before shaking his head. "No, it's nothing."

Ami brushed the sweat off her forehead after a game.

"No problem!" Usagi exclaimed in understanding. "Let Usagi lend you a helping hand! Leave it to me!"

With that, she ran off excitedly.

"Tsukino-san!" Ryo called out.

She looked back.

"You should be careful around the water today," he warned.

Usagi looked at him in confusion. "Water?"

Suddenly, water had splashed all over her as she cried out! The janitor had been cleaning the water from the rain on top of the rooftop entrance.

Ryo winced. "Shoot! I was too late."

The janitor climbed down. "Whoops, sorry!"

Usagi was in one of her crybaby moments as she realized that she didn't bring any spare clothes with her.

 **XXX**

Tsubasa was at Ami's apartment, being tutored by the genius bluenette. He was now studying English, trying to understand what the word 'aspirate' mean.

"Hmm..." he hummed before throwing his hands up. "I give up."

"Tsubasa-san," Ami chided gently. "You could at least make an effort to give an answer, you know?"

"But I don't even know what 'aspirate' means," he frowned. "Is it some sort of medicine or what?"

She shook her head in exasperation. "No, it's the independent sound of the start of a word. Like the letter 'h'. Care to give an example?"

He thought of a couple of words. "House? Horse? Haystack?"

Ami smiled. "You're getting the hang of it."

Tsubasa returned it as well, writing the answer in the workbook. "Say Mizuno-san, something has been nagging in my mind since this morning."

"First of all, you can call me Ami," she said. "What's the problem?"

"What do you think of Urawa-san?" he asked.

Ami thought about Ryo, remembering the times she talked to him. She smiled, as he was one of the few students to actually make an effort to approach her.

"He's kind of like me," she muttered. "We both are shy to talk to other people. We also enjoy studying and and reading. He's actually a really nice person once you get to know him!"

He hummed with a nod. "Has the thought of you both becoming more than just friends occurred to you?"

She frowned in thought. "Well, we've known each other even just before he transferred to Juuban. Maybe we could become best friends? Maybe even study partners?"

Tsubasa looked at her with a sweatdrop. _'That's not really what I meant. She's really innocent.'_

Ami looked at the clock and gasped. "I need to get ready for cram school!"

He looked at the clock as well. "I should leave for you to get ready then."

She nodded. "Please do. We'll continue where we left off on Saturday if you're free."

 _'Maybe a study session after school would make things more strenuous,'_ Ami thought with a grimace.

Still, she felt joyous enough to have a study partner. It beats the loneliness she had whenever she had to study alone.

 **XXX**

Rei and Mamoru were on a date as they walked through the street at night. It was really strange how they first met face-to-face. Rei had always had a crush on him since she first saw Mamoru Chiba. To try and ask him out, she had planned to pretend to fall down and he would help her up. Then their eyes would meet and it would be a love in full bloom.

Too bad she had to trip and fall flat on the concrete. Still, at least she still got a date from him. But even that was ruined by a youma. On the bright side, the good part about the date was Usagi's attempts to one-up her at dating were hilariously pitiful.

Couldn't meatball head gotten Tsubasa as her date instead of the weird Umino kid?

"Mamoru-san, where should we go next?"

"Oh, right," Mamoru muttered, still in deep thought.

 _'I'm getting a better idea about my past, bit by bit,'_ he thought. _'But it's all still a mystery to me.'_

He grimaced in worry. _'Do I have no choice, but to become Tuxedo Mask to get a hold of the Legendary Silver Crystal?'_

"Mamoru-san!"

He finally broke out of his stupor. "Oh, sorry. What did you say?"

Rei gave a look of concern. "You've been acting weird lately. Did something happen?"

He shook his head. "It's nothing. Let's go."

The ravenette smiled with a nod. Unbeknownst to them, they had passed by the Parlor Bear cafe, where Usagi and Ryo were discussing about something just by the window.

 **XXX**

"Here! Open it!" Usagi said, handing Ryo a pink envelope decorated with bunny patterns.

Bewildered, Ryo took it and opened it. It was a picture of Ami about to eat a hamburger.

"Is this for me?" he asked.

Usagi nodded excitedly before taking a sip of her drink. "It's not great, but compared to a newspaper clipping, it's a huge step-up in quality isn't it?"

She gave a cheeky smile. "Besides, she looks nice with that sort of silly look on her face."

Luna was resting right behind Usagi on the same chair as she looked down at Usagi's handbag, where the Moon Stick was beeping.

 _'It's responding. Especially near that boy. Could he be...'_ Luna thought.

"Thank you! I'll treasure this picture," Ryo showed his gratitude.

Usagi playfully waved it off. "It's no problem at all. So anyway, when are you going to tell Ami that you like her?"

Ryo looked despondent at that. "When I learned that I would be transferring into Juuban, I had made a promise to myself. That if I could do better in school than her, I would tell her how I felt!"

Usagi's eyes lit up in jubilation. "That means you can confess to her at anytime, right?"

"Yeah, but..." he looked down at the table.

But before he could finish his sentence, Usagi jumped from her chair in excitement, almost shaking Luna off the chair. "Alright! When Ami finishes her cram school, dear ol' Usagi will bring her to you!"

Ryo could only look stunned at her determination.

"So be ready!" She exclaimed, taking her handbag as she ran out of the cafe.

"Wait, Usagi-san!" He called out as she and Luna had already left. Ryo sighed as he had to pay for the bill. Looking at the picture of Ami, he had a worried look.

 **XXX**

Zoicite had watched Ryo Urawa in his romantic dilemma. He gave out a chuckle as the poor boy looked lost.

"And he's supposed to be one of the Seven Great Youma," he said as he caressed a dark crystal. "I think I can help him."

Zoicite's smile turned into a glare since it reminded him of that foolish girl that Nephrite died for.

 **XXX**

"Hey, Usagi."

The odango girl and black cat waited outside Ami's cram school. Because of the Crystal Seminar incident, Ami's was studying at OK Cram School. It took on the more practical work rather than having to work on the computers.

"I've been meaning to say this for a while, but..." Luna said, trying to find the right words as to not make her distraught.

"What is it?" Usagi asked.

Before the cat could say anything more, the students had already finished their session. Usagi turned from the corner to find Ami within the crowd.

She smiled and called out, "Ami-chan!"

Ami looked surprised by Usagi's appearance, but smiled at the fact that she waited for her.

"Usagi-chan, what brings you here?" The bluenette asked.

"Could you come with me for a bit?" Usagi asked.

Ami looked puzzled by that request. Without waiting for an answer, the odango girl took her friend by the arm and dragged her.

"Let's go!" She declared.

"Ah!" Ami gasped in surprised. "Now just hold on!"

Luna could only look in worry.

 **XXX**

Ryo was walking back home, having a lot on his mind. He wanted to confess, but there were a lot of things that had happened.

Looking back at his path, he noticed a familiar face.

"Ishikawa-san!" He called out.

Tsubasa was on his bicycle as he was going to ride off with plastic bags in hand. The call had stopped him short as he turned to see Ryo.

"Urawa-san!" Tsubasa returned as he made his way to the boy genius. "What brings you here?"

"I take this path back home," Ryo replied. "What about you?"

"Oh, I just went to pick up something from the convenience store," the ravenette answered, showing the plastic bag.

Ryo peeked in and saw that it was cup ramen. "You know too much of that isn't healthy."

Tsubasa shrugged. "I know. I've grown up with it so much that it sticks with me. Besides, it's not I can cook."

"But what about your parents?" Ryo asked, wondering what kind of lifestyle he was living.

Suddenly, they heard effeminate giggling. Narrowing his eyes, both of them looked up...

...and saw Zoicite sitting on top of an entrance arch!

"Look at you two, conversing to each other like spouses," the Shitennou member said.

Ryo narrowed his eyes. "So you're Zoicite!"

Zoicite and Tsubasa looked shocked that someone knew of him. The man in quested floated down and face him.

"How do you know my name?" he questioned with a threatening glare, towering above Ryo.

The boy glared back in defiance. "Ever since I was a kid, I've had the power to predict the future."

Tsubasa stared at Ryo in surprise. That would explain how he saved his and Ami's lives from the construction!

"And my power has been getting stronger these days," he continued. "Thanks to that, I've also figured out who I am."

Glancing at Tsubasa, he shamefully turned away. However, that only lasted a second as he went back to glaring at Zoicite.

Zoicite smiled. "Then this will make things easier for me. Now, accept your fate as one of the most powerful youma in history."

"Never!" Ryo yelled in defiance. "I would rather die than be turned into a servant of evil!"

Glaring at his resistance, Zoicite cast his power. "Zoi!"

The power had pushed back Ryo.

"Urawa!" Tsubasa exclaimed in worry. Scowling at the attacker, he tried to punch him.

The Shitennou glared at the interference as he stepped back. He lifted up his knee and slammed it into Tsubasa's gut.

"GUH!" The boy gasped as he wind was knocked out of him.

Zoicite capped it off with an elbow to the back of the neck.

"URGH!" Tsubasa grunted in pain as he was on the ground, reeling from the offense.

"Ishikawa-san!" Ryo called out, worried that he was hurt badly.

"Now, now. I can't have you getting in my way," Zoicite stepped in as he took out the dark crystal. "Be a good boy and surrender."

The crystal began to glow as Ryo could feel the pain of transforming.

Around the corner, Usagi was still dragging Ami.

"Come on, Ami-chan! Hurry!" She exclaimed as she pulled.

Ami almost tripped, but found her footing once she witnessed the scene. "That's Zoicite!"

Usagi quickly held onto her friend while Luna quickly popped out from the corner. They gasped as they realized what was happening!

"Oh no, Urawa and Tsubasa are attacked!" Usagi exclaimed in horror.

"And he's turning Urawa into a youma!" Luna growled as she got into a stance. "Both of you, transform now!"

 **"Moon Prism Power! Make-Up!"**

 **"Mercury Power! Make-Up!"**

 **XXX**

The pain grew even stronger as Ryo tried to get away.

"Stop right there!"

Zoicite glared at the recognizable voice of his arch-nemesis while Tsubasa looked up.

"As long as the moon hangs in the night sky, I will not overlook any evil deed!" Sailor Moon exclaimed. "For love and justice, Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon!"

"Likewise, Sailor Mercury!" Mercury joined in. "We have arrived!"

Zoicite grabbed the dark crystal. "Are you planning to get in my way?!"

Moon turned to Mercury. "Take Urawa and Tsubasa somewhere safe."

Mercury nodded as she picked up the boys. Tsubasa stopped her.

"I'll be fine. He's the one that's being targeted," he said.

Mercury nodded as Tsubasa helped pick Ryo up before running around the corner. Both of them had Ryo around the shoulders while Moon was blocking Zoicite.

"I have no time for the likes of you. Zoi!"

Sailor Moon was engulfed in cherry blossoms, causing her to shut her eyes from the wind pressure. Once that stopped, she opened her eyes and realized that he disappeared.

 **XXX**

Sailor Mercury was treating the pained Ryo as he was laid on the park bench. Tsubasa stood by on watch. The bluenette heroine sighed as she squeezed the wash cloth that was soaked from the pond. Folding it, into a rectangle, she placed it over Ryo's forehead.

"I think we're far enough to get away," she sighed.

"T-thank you, Mizuno-san," Ryo said before falling unconscious.

Mercury gasped in shock. How did he know?!

Tsubasa sighed. "This is going to be a long story."

 **XXX**

Sailor Moon and Luna ran in hopes of finding them before Zoicite. Turning around the corner, she gasped for air. "Just how far did Mercury go?"

"Sailor Moon," Luna called, making the odango heroine turn to her. "If you use the Moon Stick, you will be able to track them down."

"What are you saying?!" Moon exclaimed. "That's like saying Urawa is a crystal youma!"

Luna rolled her eyes. "He is."

"EH?!" Moon exclaimed in shock.

 **XXX**

Urawa was having a nightmare. He could remember his past.

 **XXX**

 _A dark figure was looming right behind Mercury. Turning around, she saw a pair of scissors lunged towards her!_

 _"AAAH!" She cried out in pain as her clothes were shredded._

 **XXX**

Mercury placed the cloth back on his head again.

"And to think he had such power," she muttered.

"Despite all that, he's still a nice guy," Tsubasa said. "To find out about such knowledge must have taken such a toll on his mind."

Mercury noticed something in Ryo's breastpocket. "What's this?"

Taking the paper, she opened it and saw what it was. It was picture of her during one of her outings.

 _'That's me,'_ she thought. _'How did he get that?'_

"I remember that," Tsubasa's voice mused as he took a look at the photo. Mercury gasped in surprise as she saw him from over her shoulder.

"A couple of friends and I had gone out for lunch on the Saturday. Once the waitress arrived with Ami's burger, the bluenette was about to take a bite. All of the sudden, Usagi took a quick snapshot of Ami with her Polaroid camera."

He chuckled. "Poor girl was flustered. It was hilariously adorable."

Mercury was glad that Tsubasa couldn't see her blushing face.

Suddenly, Ryo began to stir awake. Mercury quickly placed the picture back into his breastpocket.

"It happened again," he muttered as his vision started to become clear.

"You had a bad dream," Mercury said.

He shook his head. "It's not a dream at all. It was a premonition."

Ryo sat up. "I have the power to predict the future. That's why I was able to ace the exams."

"What are you talking about?" Mercury asked as she sat next to him.

"You don't have to hide it anymore, Mizuno-san," he said.

She gasped. Ryo glanced back at Tsubasa. The boy in question looked stunned at his glance.

 _'He knows!'_

"I have idolized you for a long time," he confessed. "But we are fated to fight one another."

Mercury giggled, causing Ryo to frown.

"You don't believe me?" Ryo questioned.

"Well, I don't know," she answered. "Because everything you've said is off the mark. And you're mistaking me for Mizuno-san."

Ryo sighed. He might as well play along. "If you say so. But..."

She looked at him.

"If I turn into a youma, then do not hesitate to kill me!" Ryo pleaded.

Mercury and Tsubasa looked alarmed at that sudden request.

"Because that, at least, seemed real," he said as his head bowed down towards his shoes.

Mercury glared as she stood up. "Urawa, the future is yours to create! If you give up, then everything will happen just as you think it will!"

Her face softened. "But as long as you have faith in yourself, you should be able to create any future for yourself."

Ryo looked up and met her smile.

"Mizuno-san..." he shook his head as he stood up. "No...Sailor Mercury."

"My, what an open display of affection."

 _ **(Kinpaku from Kamen Rider Kuuga OST)**_

The trio turned around to see Zoicite appearing in a sea of sakura petals while floating above the pond.

"Do you think you can get away from the black crystal?" He questioned.

"Zoicite!" Mercury exclaimed as she positioned to protect the boys.

"My, my," he teased. "Very protective. But I wonder if you would feel the same once you witness his true form."

The crystal began to glow as the pain returned to Ryo once more.

"GHAAHH!" Ryo cried out in agony as the transformation took hold of him.

"Urawa-kun!" Mercury cried out.

"Look very carefully and witness the rebirth of Bunbo, third of the Seven Great Youma," Zoicite announced.

Soon, the flames began to engulf him. Slowly, he turned to Tsubasa.

"Ishikawa-san...protect Mizuno-san!" Ryo called out before the flames consumed him.

"Ryo!" Tsubasa exclaimed in horror.

One of the rainbow crystals came out of the flame as it landed in Zoicite's hand.

"Bunbo, dispatch these two!" He ordered.

"U-Urawa..." Mercury muttered as they witnessed the rebirth of Bunbo the Army Knife Youma, whose arms functioned like Swiss Army knives, a body of a steel juggernaut and the face of a lizard.

"Bunbo!" He roared.

Mercury quickly turned to Tsubasa. "Get to somewhere safe!"

He nodded as he ran off. Zoicite sighed. "Oh well. The sailor senshi are a bigger priority."

Bunbo took a few steps towards her, as she was frozen at the fact that she didn't want to hurt him.

 _'The future is yours to create!'_

Despite his transformation, Bunbo was still Ryo Urawa within. Raising his arm, Mercury gasped as she braced for impact.

 **CLANG!**

Bunbo's blade dug right into the ground, just inches away from Mercury's feet. With that, he flipped over her and landed on his knee.

"BUNBOOO!" He roared.

Zoicite looked shocked as the youma lunged towards him.

"AH!" He gasped as he was knocked back by the impact, letting go of the rainbow crystal. It landed right into Mercury's hands.

"This guy still has the heart of a human!" Zoicite grunted as he was being dragged away.

He teleported in thin air, causing Bunbo to drop into the pond. Finally, he reappeared and used the dark crystal once more in order for the full effect to work.

"Bunbo, your true opponent is the Sailor Senshi. Now retrieve the rainbow crystal from her at once!" He ordered.

Once that was done, the knife youma began to rise once more and turn towards Mercury.

"Bunbo!" He roared, growing bigger.

It stomped on the bench, causing Mercury to run away!

In the nick of time, Sailor Moon and Luna had arrived!

Zoicite turned to see the arrivals.

"Zoicite, it's not fair to control an innocent boy's mind against his will!" Moon exclaimed.

"Hmph, I think you misunderstand!" Zoicite exclaimed. "This is the boy's true form!"

Bunbo was still chasing Mercury, who was holding on to the crystal.

Moon gritted her teeth and glared. "Unforgivable! You'll never get away with it! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

"Sailor Moon, please turn Urawa-kun back into himself first!" Mercury exclaimed, still being chased by the giant youma.

"Alright," With a twirl of the Moon Stick, she spun around as the light illuminated around.

 **"Moon Healing Escalation!"**

The light magic spread all over the area.

"BUNBOO!" He roared as he continued to chase after them!

The duo screamed as the chase continued.

"Why didn't he change back?!" Moon cried out.

Luna tried to go after them. "The evil power within him is too strong! To restore him, you need to weaken him!"

Bunbo opened his mouth, causing three projectiles to shoot out. Two were shot into the tree, but the third had cut through a branch, blocking their escape!

Moon looked dismayed, as they were cornered. However, Mercury looked determined.

"We have no choice but to face him!" She exclaimed.

 _'If I turn into a youma, please don't hesitate to kill me!'_

She remembered those words clearly. Mercury didn't want to do it, hoping to do enough damage to keep him exhausted.

 _'Hang on, Urawa-kun. We'll restore you back to normal!'_ She thought with fierce determination.

"BUNBO!" He roared as he shot out two projectiles. One spinning rotary blade and one giant needle.

They screamed as they ducked down from the first, which chopped down the tree behind them. In surprise, the needle impacted just right in front of them, causing them to scream in shock.

Just before he was about to reload...

"DYAH!"

 _ **(Phantom Gentleman Who Never Sleeps by Nash Music Library)**_

Bunbo was knocked back by a shadow figure! Moon and Mercury looked up and smiled in relief. Tenebrae had arrived!

Bunbo slowly got up and glared at Tenebrae, who was in his fighting stance. Slowly, the armored warrior circled around the youma.

 _'Forgive me, Urawa,'_ he thought.

"BUNBO!" The army knife youma roared as it towered to strike Tenebrae.

"HRGH!" Tenebrae grabbed onto Bunbo's arm before throwing him over with a flying mare. Bunbo landed with a crash.

Those who witnessed it looked amazed at the strength he had to take on such a big opponent.

 _'He's this strong?!'_ Zoicite thought in panic. _'I need a plan to deal with him once and for all!'_

Tenebrae delivered several punches and kicks. Despite the amount of strength, Bunbo still held strong thanks to the impact the attacks made due to the size difference.

Tenebrae delivered a dropkick, causing Bunbo to stumble back. The youma opened his mouth once more, shooting more projectiles at him. Tenebrae created his energy shield, the impact on it causing the projectiles to break.

"BUNBO!" He roared again as the youma ran and struck him across the chest!

"Tenebrae!" Moon cried out as Mercury gasped. Luna winced from the impact he received.

Tenebrae himself could feel the pain. However, he forced himself to shrug it off as he jumped high above Bunbo and landed on him with a Swallow Kick.

Bunbo fell to the ground with a thud, yet Tenebrae was on a knee. That strike must have caused a huge impact due to the size difference.

 _ **(End OST)**_

"And you had me worried all along," Zoicite remarked as Bunbo stood up. "Finish him, Bunbo."

The youma prepared another pair of projectiles and shot towards Tenebrae. Before the impact could happen...

 **"Fire Soul!"**

 **"Supreme Thunder!"**

 **(Tsuki ni Kawate Oshioki yo! from Sailor Moon Crystal OST)**

Two elemental projectiles had struck Bunbo's projectile from out of nowhere, rendering them useless.

Everyone looked to see that Sailor Mars and Jupiter had arrived, standing between Tenebrae.

"We almost missed our chance to be in the spotlight," Jupiter remarked as she helped Tenebrae up.

"No kidding," Mars muttered as she smirked at Tenebrae. "You're welcome by the way."

Mercury stood up and began to contribute.

 **"Sabão Spray!"**

Bunbo was covered in the mist, making him confused. Out of the sudden, three Catch-Rings began to trap him.

"Sailor Moon, now's our chance! Please save Urawa-kun!" Mercury exclaimed.

 **"Moon Tiara Action!"**

The tiara landed on Bunbo's forehead, electrocuting him!

"BUNBO!" He roared in jolted pain, causing him to regress in size.

"His power is weakening! Now, Sailor Moon!" Luna exclaimed.

 **"Moon Healing Escalation!"**

Bunbo struggled before finally being engulfed in light. "Refresh!"

 _ **(End OST)**_

The light died down, the youma being replaced with Ryo Urawa. The poor boy collapsed to the ground.

The Senshi sighed in relief, but Mercury ran to him.

"Urawa-kun!" She called out in worry.

Zoicite grit his teeth in frustration as he stared down at the heroes. "Just you remember this!"

With that, he disappeared once more.

"Urawa-kun," Mercury muttered softly as Ryo awoke in her arms. "Are you alright?"

"Mizuno-san..." he said.

From afar, Tuxedo Mask watched all this before walking away from the scene.

 _'So the third crystal is in the hands of the Sailor Senshi,'_ he thought. He smiled as he quietly took his leave, believing that the crystal is in good hands.

Unknown to him, Tenebrae noticed the masked gentleman's departure.

 **XXX**

The next day, Usagi, Ami, Makoto And Tsubasa went to see off Ryo by the train station.

"You're transferring again? You sure don't settle down much," Makoto remarked.

Ryo scratched his head with a sheepish smile. "Well, I have to go wherever my dad's work takes him. It can't be helped."

"And we'd just became friends," Usagi pouted.

Ryo turned to Tsubasa, who nodded at him. "Um, Mizuno-san..."

The bluenette smiled. "You can just call me Ami, Ryo-kun."

"I-I just wanted to return you this," he said, taking the picture from his breastpocket.

 _'Oh, shoot!'_ Usagi mentally panicked.

Ami took the picture. Giving it a look once more, it made her smile.

Ryo gave a determined look. "When I get a better score than you with my own abilities, I'll be coming back for that picture."

"Ryo-kun..." Ami smiled as she gave back the picture. Ryo looked confused, but it turned to elation. "I liked that picture better, so take that with you."

He nodded as the door between them closed. Soon the train began to move as Ami ran alongside to see Ryo one last time.

 _'Don't worry about grades. Come and see me anytime, Ryo.'_ Ami thought with a joyous smile.

She stopped once it was out of reach. They might have gone their separate ways, but the bond, while still fresh, was strong.

Tsubasa remembered his conversation with Ryo.

 **XXX**

 _"I'm glad that you were able to protect her, Ishikawa-san."_

 _Tsubasa and Ryo waited for his train to arrive, sitting by once of the benches._

 _"I would have done it either way," Tsubasa replied. "They're still my friends."_

 _Ryo smiled before he frowned. "Be careful out there. There will be more youma out there that Zoicite will send."_

 _Tsubasa's face turned serious. "I know. And whatever happens, I will protect those that cannot fend against them."_

 _Ryo nodded. "I will need to warn you. Your battle with Queen Beryl will end in sorrow. Be careful."_

 _"Sorrow? For who?" Tsubasa asked._

 _His face turned grim. "For everyone."_

 _Before he could ask more, they turned to see the girls arriving._

 **XXX**

It was more of an omen. Tsubasa couldn't help but feel worried as to what will happen after the battle against these youma were done.

"Tsubasa-kun?"

Tsubasa looked up to see Ami looking at him. "Are you going to join us for lunch? Rei might not like us making her wait."

He turned to see Makoto trying to calm an excited Usagi down. Tsubasa smiled. He can worry about the future. Right now, all he wanted was to enjoy the present.

"Sure."

After all, he will make a future where everyone can be happy.

 **XXX**

 **(Ending)**

 _ **(Namida wa Shitteiru by Mayo Suzukaze)**_

The scene shows a park, where it's very bright and sunny. On the concrete path, Tsubasa is walking on it as if he was minding his own business. Suddenly, he turns around as if someone is calling his name before the scene turns white.

 ** _"Kimi ga namida ni yureru toki, dousureba iin darou,"_** The picture of Ami is shown of her looking up towards the sky as she adjusts her spectacles while carrying her bag.

 ** _"Sora wo miagetemo, kokoro ga itai,"_** The next picture shows Rei looking up at the sky also, this time sweeping with her broom.

 ** _"Kizu tsukanakute ii koto ni, dare no ga fureteshimau,"_** The next picture shows Makoto also looking up at the sky, but enjoy the view as she carries a bag of groceries.

 ** _"Mizu mo tsumetasa ni, odoroku toki no you ni,"_** The next picture shows Minako lastly looking at the sky, though she smiles as she brushed her bangs by the side while having her handbag by the arm.

 ** _"Tonari ni iru dake de,"_** The next scene shows a white screen, where it seemed to be split vertically as one half showed Sailor Moon with a forlorn expression.

 ** _"Nanimo dekinai kedo,"_** Sailor Moon fades out, but the other half shows Tuxedo Mask looking serious.

 ** _"Arittake no egao kimi dake ni, kakaete okuroyo donna toki mo,"_** The next picture shows Tenebrae in a fighting stance as the scarf looks to be blown in the wind.

 ** _"Shinjite iiyou yume wa yattekuru, kimi no tame dake ni,"_** The next picture show Tsubasa by the side as he had one of his hands in his pocket, the other giving a V-sign with a gentle smile.

 ** _"Naitemo iito donna kanashimimo, tsubasa ni kawaru no sa sono mune de,"_** The next picture shows Usagi running as she gives a wave with a bright smile while she carries a basket with Luna in it.

The final scene switches to Tsubasa running to Usagi and the rest of their friends as it zooms upwards in white until the end shot shows a branch with cherry blossoms.

 **XXX**

 ** _A/N: Whew! Finally done! Had to handle my other fics._**

 ** _Anyway, I'm actually trying to write up a prequel spin-off set in the Silver Millennium. Be on the lookout for that._**


End file.
